Air Pollution: Young Lungs At Risk – Call To Ban Idling Cars Outside Schools
Cars should be banned from idling near schools and congestion charges imposed across the UK as part of measures recommended by Public Health England (PHE) to stop the 36,000 people dying each year from human-made air pollution. In a 263-page review of the options for improving air quality, PHE also pointed to emerging evidence of air pollution causing dementia, […]
Report Claims More Funding Needed For Affordable Housing
In order to reach the target of 300,000 new homes by 2025, the construction sector output will need to grow by 26% over the next seven years or 3.4% per annum according to a new housing report. According to the joint report by the National Housing Foundation and Savills, there is an expectation that private […]
Bank Of Mum And Dad Raid Home Equity To Fund Younger Relatives
Record numbers of UK home owners used equity release products to help younger relatives buy property in 2018. According to the 2018 Equity Release report, published by retirement finance specialists Key, 27% of equity release users unlocked the equity in their homes with the express purposes of gifting it to their children so they are […]
FTBs Increasingly Reliant On 40-Year Mortgages To Afford Property
Despite the recent market slowdown bringing wages more in line with property prices, there is increasing demand for the mortgage market to offer more 40-year mortgage terms. According to data from Santander Mortgages, around half of first-time buyers would consider a 40-year loan in order to reduce monthly repayments and make housing affordability stretch a […]
Increase In 95% LTV Mortgage Products Helping Buyers
The number of lenders offering mortgages to low deposit buyers has increased significantly in the last decade. According to figures obtained from Moneyfacts.co.uk, since 2009 the number of providers offering mortgages to savers with a 5% deposit has increased from just 3 to 60 lenders offering between two and five-year fixed rate 95% Loan to […]
CLC Sets Out Plans To Streamline Handling Of Client Money
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) is proposing to streamline the rules on how CLC practices handle client money as part of a drive to reduce regulatory burdens and facilitate innovation while keeping client money safe and improving consumer confidence. This follows a series of workshops with CLC Lawyers to identify opportunities for improvement. Launching […]
Labour Housing Policies Aim To Reduce House Price Inflation
As the political climate continues to resemble an Easter Egg left under a hot sun, the likelihood of a general election lurking on the horizon is increasing. In a bid to win over voters, Labour has recently released plans for the housing market which they claim will reduce the widening gulf between property prices and […]
Conservative Leadership Candidate Claims Developers Should Use Approved Land
The pack of predatory Conservative politicians have been circling the metaphorically injured leader of the country for some time. Now, in a bid to set out his perspective leadership manifesto, former housing minister, Dominic Raab, has publicly called for dramatic housing reforms that may be popular with voters. Concerned that the property market is struggling […]
TSB Guarantee All Innocent Fraud Victims Full Refunds
On Sunday April 14th 2019, TSB launched their TSB Fraud Refund Guarantee that promises to cover and refund innocent customers of any legitimate fraud up to the value of £1 million per claim. The scheme follows the significant cyber breach experienced by TSB in April 2018 which left over 1.9 million customers unable to access […]
Will Property Log Books Improve Market Efficiency?
A recent report has claimed that one in 6 housing transactions are failing to complete and costing the seller on average £1,945. As many buyers are increasingly worried about the condition of the property they are about to purchase, in many cases they would rather pull out than risk being lumbered with hidden housing costs. […]
Will Ditching Section 21 Evictions Cause Detrimental Impact On Tenants?
The Government are moving forward in their bid to abolish no-fault, Section 21 evictions in privately rented accommodation. Whilst Theresa May claims the banishment of section 21 evictions will help safeguard responsible tenants ensuring that they are offered “long-term certainty and the peace of mind they deserve”, many have claimed that it could prevent landlords […]
Frustrated Savers Motivated By Lottery Style Group Saving Start-Up
Following recent research highlighting the plight of the first-time buyer saving for more than a decade to achieve their deposit total, a new start-up has launched a lottery style scheme that claims the majority of users will achieve their deposit total significantly quicker than by saving through traditional methods. Stepladder match savers with others that have […]
The Importance Of Cyber Certifications: Slater Heelis Case Study
Ensuring that your law firm achieves a recognised Cyber Security accreditation is no longer just a strategy recommended by the government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), it is a business expectation. Failing to achieve this minimum expectation, will see you ostracised and marginalised from legal firms, consumers and third parties that are desperate to protect […]
Unused Homes Increase In England For Second Consecutive Year
The housing crisis appears to be deepening after it was revealed that the number of vacant and empty homes in England increased for the second year in a row. In total, more than £53 billion worth of property has been empty and unused for more than six months in England alone. According to data obtained […]
Thirdfort Goes Live With Automated Source Of Funds Product
On 10th March, Thirdfort, an FCA regulated software company, launched its first in kind Source of Funds product. It uses bank linking technology to streamline administration, while improving reliability in knowing where clients’ money comes from. A lawyer is able to access this capability through Thirdfort’s website and send the client a text message with […]
Over-50s Confused About Basic Equity Release Terms And Conditions
Latest research has found that the majority of over-55s are confused by basic equity release terms and conditions. This could be worrying for a section of the market that are increasingly using equity release products to release the money tied up in their home. The research, carried out by Sunlife, asked 1,001 people aged over-55 […]
Digitisation Of The Mortgage Process Increasingly Appealing To Consumers
The mortgage and remortgaging sector solidified their transition into digitisation this week with the announcement that Moneysupermarket are launching a comprehensive remortgaging price comparison tool and HM Land Registry’s (HMLR) update on their free digital mortgage platform, Sign Your Mortgage Deed. HMLR announced that a number of high street lenders are adopting the digital service […]
Long-Term Optimism For The Property Market Reduces In March
A leading market survey has concluded that Brexit uncertainty is set to shroud the property market with continued difficulties for a further six months and long-term optimism in the housing market is reducing. However, overall the monthly sentiment in the March UK Residential Market Survey, carried out by The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), […]
The Ten Year Struggle To Achieve Home Ownership
According to new research, carried out by Hamptons International, it takes over ten years for a single person to save the necessary money to afford a 15% deposit. Whilst this may seem a ridiculous amount of time to save for, it represents a considerable decline when compared with the figures from the 2016 report. On […]
Home Owners Regret Property Compromises
The current property market is filled with prospective buyers that are forced to compromise on their dream home. The quarter of people that compromised on location to achieve a slightly improved property now regret their decision. According to the Nationwide House Price Index, since 2009, when the average UK property was valued just over £150,000, […]