Half of conveyancers confident market stability here to stay
55% of conveyancers say they are ‘confident’ in the current stability of the property market; one third were neutral, and 12% lack confidence according to the first results of a new Confidence Tracker launched by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) to gauge the views of the profession on the current state of home buying […]
What does the property market want from the Spring Statement?
Chancellor Rachel Reeves will stand in Parliament on Wednesday 26th March to deliver her much-anticipated Spring Statement; with many in the property industry hoping for no repeat of SDLT deadline extensions experienced in previous budgets. Helping first time buyers, planning reform and data are a priority for membership bodies and professionals in the home buying […]
Housing more affordable in 2024 than 2023 as affordability returns to pre-pandemic levels
Affordability of housing in England and Wales has fallen over the past 12 months from 8.4x earnings to 7.7x earning in England, and 6.2x to 5.9x earnings in Wales; to levels not seen since 2016. The figures are based on numbers released this week by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing median earnings in […]
Law Society confirm two form approach to TA6
The Law Society of England and Wales has announced a new two-form approach to the TA6 following an extensive consultation. Going forward there will two separate forms say The Law Society A new 6th edition TA6 property form which is mandatory for Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) members from March 2026 and is designed to be […]
Cladding remediation won’t hit 2029 target say Public Accounts Committee
The government is unlikely to hit its target of resolving the cladding crisis by 2029 with progress ‘painfully slow’ and many barriers still to address, including identifying all buildings affected, which could be as many as 12,000 in total. Work is yet to start on over half of the 5,000 buildings over 11m so far […]
‘Crazy’ house prices more nuanced with 12.1% growth over last 10 years
‘Crazy’ increases in house prices over the last ten years must be taken in the context of inflation and wage growth with the reality being across the UK house prices have increased by 12.1% over the last decade. That is according to estate agent Yopa’s recently released Housing Market Affordability Review of the last decade […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer – No to SDLT extension
So only six (working) days to go… and I note there is now talk of a potential SDLT extension. I think we all await the Spring Statement with bated breath. This gives me so many conflicting emotions but my over riding one is “NO”. Don’t push the can down the road when we are all […]
TA6 Consultation – 14 key questions answered
The Law Society confirmed the outcome of the long-awaited consultation into the future of the TA6 Property Information Form this week with a “two form” approach, removing much of the questioning relating to ‘material information’ into a separate form and introducing a 6th edition of the TA6 in March 2026 after further consultation. In the […]
Agents confident of post-March property market volumes
Estate agents report increases in the number of new properties coming to market, more prospective buyer registrations and viewings after the pre-Christmas lull, all of which point to positivity remaining in the property market beyond the SDLT deadline at the end of March. The latest Propertymark Housing Insight Report, is based on a survey of members, […]
Two thirds of home moves take longer than expected – Survey
A survey of 1000 home buyers ahead of the SDLT deadline has identified two thirds consider their property purchase has taken longer than expected; with nearly four in ten saying the conveyancing process was the key reason for delays. Conducted amongst movers who had an offer accepted but had not yet completed, the survey identified […]
Lloyds guarantee to process all completions submitted at least a week before SDLT deadline
Lloyds Banking Group, which includes Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland,have committed to guaranteeing to process all completions submitted at least a week before the SDLT deadline provided it has received Certificates of Title no later than 25th March. The lender conveyancers must submit Certificates of Title on or by 25th March to guarantee […]
Stamp Duty Changes and the Impact on Law Firm Compliance
Starting April 2025, new UK stamp duty thresholds will come into effect, reducing the limit for first-time buyers to £300,000 and for other homebuyers to £125,000. This means higher costs for many buyers and challenges for firms who must remain the right side of compliance during this busy period. My Key Takeaways The upcoming decrease […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer – Good vibes only
There is something reassuring , albeit somewhat alarming, that when emailing another solicitor on a Saturday and not expecting a response, I received an immediate response. This shows the pressure that we are under coming into the end of March. Conveyancers are working ridiculous hours again, and I was pleased to see that one contributor […]
Confessions of a cyber conveyancer – “We all make mistakes – it’s just how many”
When it comes to professional indemnity claims, residential conveyancing holds the number one spot for volume, which is why we always remind ourselves that our role is like doing an exam in which you have to get 100% right. The problem is that it’s neither possible nor commercially practicable for us to be 100% right […]
Stamp duty deadline distorting demand – RICS
The impending stamp duty deadline is ‘distorting’ the the underlying demand picture with weakening sentiment in February a result of time running out for new enquiries to take advantage of reliefs for first time buyers. Buyer demand sentiment in the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) UK Residential Property Survey shows a net balance […]
SDLT deadline plays its part in 94% increase in instructions
Consultant-style law firm Taylor Rose says it has reported a 94% increase in the number of conveyancing instructions it has dealt with when compared to the same time last year. In January and February 2025 Taylor Rose received 5,297 instructions, compared with 2,738 in the same period in 2024. 2024 also saw Taylor Rose take […]
Simple, Straightforward, but Never Standard: Introducing Landmark’s Remastered Commercial Reports
The commercial property market is a fast-paced and complex sector that demands precision, clarity, and actionable environmental due diligence powered by expert knowledge. Landmark has long been the trusted partner for conveyancers and solicitors seeking reliable environmental searches, and now, we’re raising the bar once again. Our remastered commercial reports provide property professionals with the most […]
Slashing planning red tape; reaction to Government planning reform proposals
Further details of plans to streamline the planning system and prevent developments from being unnecessarily blocked have been confirmed ahead of the introduction of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill this week. The bill includes ‘significant measures introduced to speed up planning decisions to boost housebuilding and remove unnecessary blockers and challenges to the delivery of […]
Reforms could strip councils of their say on large or contentious planning applications
The planning and infrastructure bill could see councillors stripped of powers to block building projects in an effort to increase planning capacity and deliver on the 1.5m promised new homes in this Parliament. The Times reported over the weekend deputy prime minister Angela Rayner will include the plans to prevent councillors from blocking development of […]
FCA to support home ownership with lending rules flexibility
Lenders could relax stress testing rules in an effort to improve access to mortgages as interest rates fall. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is reminding lenders of flexibility in their mortgage rules as the current market approach to interest rate stress testing could ‘unduly restricting access to otherwise affordable mortgages’ says the regulator. The FCA […]