Commercial property transactions – A lender’s perspective with Santander
Join us on the 9th June and hear from our guest speakers. In this exclusive session, hear from our two guest speakers from Santander UK, Robert Mayhew, Head, CCB Risk Assurance – Property Valuations, and Wendy Whewell, Head ESG & Climate Change, Corporate and Commercial Banking. They will cover a few different points such as: […]
Homes England achieves highest number of completions since 2020
Homes England has achieved its highest number of housing completions since the start of the global pandemic, despite just missing the government’s annual target. In the year 2025/26, the housing and regeneration agency completed more than 40,200 homes, just shy of its government target of 41,500, according to provisional figures. This year’s completions are up […]
From formalism to certainty: Reassessing the land registration system in England and Wales
In his second article for Today’s Conveyancer, Dr Saidunnabi Piyal, senior lecturer in law at the University of Wolverhampton, examines the land registration system in England and Wales, outlining relevant legislation and significant case law. The transformation of land law initiated by the 1925 property legislation marked a decisive break from the formalistic and […]
A storm in an SDLT cup?
We brought together two SDLT experts for a live panel — here are the key takeaways you need to know. With HMRC’s new registration regime opening from today, 18 May, confusion has been circulating across the conveyancing sector about what the new SDLT tax adviser registration really means in practice. InfoTrack’s Chief Commercial Officer, Lloyd […]
New public interest ombudsman decisions reveal ‘serious failings’
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has published its latest raft of public interest decisions, revealing “serious failings in the delivery of legal services”. The six new decisions reveal that failures to provide clear advice, carry out essential checks and manage cases effectively have led to tangible and, in some instances, irreversible consequences for the individuals involved. […]
Lenders to focus on completion times as a route to ‘improve margins and lower costs’
Lenders will turn their attention to lengthening completion times to improve margins and cut costs according to home buying and selling transformation consultants Novus Strategy, as mortgage data reveaed a record value of mortgage cancellations in the first quarter of 2026. A comparison of mortgage approvals and cancellations revealed 35,144 mortgage cancellations in Q1 2026; […]
Consultation on mansion tax launched as government outlines plans to raise £430m annually
The government has launched a consultation on the design and delivery of the High Value Council Tax Surcharge (HVCTS), announced in the 2025 autumn budget by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. In its ministerial foreword, the consultation identifies the “unjust” nature of council tax, where a “band D property in Darlington or Blackpool, today worth around £400,000, […]
The stress behind the sale: Five things your clients are feeling during a transaction delay… and what to do about them.
OneSearch Direct has teamed up with LawCare to produce a free guide that helps conveyancers guide clients through the process of buying and selling a home. Here, OneSearch marketing executive Andrew Winn explains how to spot the key stress points and offer support to help both parties experience a stress-free move. Home buyers and […]
CFIT unveils Open Property Roadmap to ‘modernise UK home buying’
The Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology has published a roadmap for open property which it says sets out “a clear and credible pathway to transform the UK’s home buying process”. The Open Property Roadmap was commissioned by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) to enable the digitalisation of the home buying and selling […]
GOV.UK launches tax adviser registration tool for firms to check obligations
HMRC has released a new service for organisations to check whether they must register as tax advisers under the new rules effective from Monday 18th May 2026. The tool asks users a series of questions to determine whether or not a firm will need to register. When the tool was used to answer questions purporting […]
Kitemark for upfront information providers to be developed as new representative group launches
A new group has been launched to standardise the production of material information and digital sales packs, under the umbrella of the Residential Logbook Association (RLBA). Upfront Information Group (UIG) has been established by the self-regulatory body of logbook providers to enable it to engage with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) […]
Confessions of a cyber conveyancer: ‘Forget doing the law – you need to learn how to prompt AI’
As lawyers continue to be bombarded with messages urging them to embrace AI, Today’s Conveyancer columnist Peter Ambrose says it’s time to get on board – but strictly on your own terms. As a property lawyer, you will be used to people assuming you have superpowers that transcend mere mortals. Your crystal ball-gazing skills […]
CLC shares updated guidance on the treatment of VAT on disbursements
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) has published new guidance on the correct VAT treatment of disbursements. The guidance note brings together information and resources with the aim of supporting firms in determining how to treat different disbursements for VAT purposes. As well as a revised definition of the term ‘disbursement’, the guidance note includes an outline of relevant case […]
Leasehold complications lengthening transaction times, with conveyancing blamed for delays
Average transaction times have extended by four weeks since 2019, according to statistics published by Connells Group this week. Leasehold transactions are driving much of the increase in average timescales, with a typical leasehold transaction taking 155 days to reach exchange in April – 58 days longer than a freehold property. The estate agency group […]
Firm-wide CPD and peer-assessed training part of new CLC ongoing competence requirements
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) is introducing new requirements for individuals and firms to undertake and report on ongoing competence, as part of a new Ongoing Competence Code. The code, effective from 1st November, includes the assessment of training by senior colleagues. Individuals will be required to complete and report on a minimum of […]
Updated valuation standards for multi-storey residential buildings with cladding
An EWS1 form is intended for valuation and lending purposes only and is not a fire safety certificate and does not replace a professional life safety fire risk assessment, according to new guidance. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published the second edition of its UK professional standard, Secured lending valuation of properties […]
Profile: Nina Hood, head of residential property at Thomson Hayton Winkley
Nina Hood is the head of residential property at Cumbria firm Thomson Hayton Winkley. She is a licensed conveyancer with more than 25 years’ experience in the property sector. Nina leads a 14-strong team of fee earners, trainees and support staff, as well as running a caseload of her own. She is passionate about supporting […]
Beyond paper and portals: What digital conveyancing really means for modern law firms
As the rush to adopt AI solutions in the legal sector gathers pace, Ben Mills, commercial director at legal tech company Minerva, explains why the customer experience should lead the way when it comes to deciding the tools to deploy. Digital conveyancing has been a fixture of the legal sector for well over a […]
Focus on quality, supervision and accountability for successful reform, conveyancing pressure group says
The Conveyancing Task Force, a group of practising conveyancers formed in the wake of the government’s home buying and selling reform consultation, has issued a briefing note to MPs warning that the core issues of the transaction process are being overlooked. The 23-strong group, which includes small law firms and a PLC alongside individual conveyancers […]
Speakers from MHCLG, CLC and Law Society confirmed for Bold Legal Group conference
A growing line-up of speakers and sessions has been confirmed for the Bold Legal Group Conveyancing Conference & Soirée 2026, which takes place on Wednesday 17th June at Regent’s University in London. Confirmed speakers include Law Society president Mark Evans, Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) strategy adviser Tom Treadwell, and representatives from the […]