Chancellor’s Budget Highlights Recovery in Housing Market
Lack of property headlines in the 2014 Budget shows government’s confidence in housing market recovery. The announcement of the Chancellor George Osborne’s budget yesterday lunchtime lacked any major headlines concerning the property sector. The much muted reduction in Stamp Duty was avoided whilst the extension of the Help to Buy Scheme until 2020 was already […]
Leaderboard for conveyancing social media influencers launched.
Convey100 is a brand new social media influence leaderboard just for conveyancers, created by TM Group. You’ve always wanted to learn how influential your firm is, but now there’s a way to find out! Conveyancers can now pit their social influence against eachother with Convey100, the very first social media leaderboard just for property solicitors. […]
Rents Plateau but are expected to rise as demand outweighs supply.
Average rents in the UK remain flat on month but are 8% higher overall than this time last year. This is a momentary reprieve for tenants but an increase is likely as the rental market looks set to mirror the homeowners market as demand for properties increases. New tenant demand is increasing 10% on month. […]
Home Mover Conveyancing – what does the future hold?
Residential conveyancers will look forward to increased business as the home mover market improves following the recession but do they find themselves at a cross roads of choices, the making of which may meaningfully influence their prosperity or will the their future , inevitably, be along the same pre-ordained bumpy road? In ascertaining where you […]
SearchFlow launches specialist New Build service
SearchFlow, the UK’s leading property search business, has announced the launch of its New Build service to facilitate quicker conveyancing for new build properties and developments. Conveyancing for new builds is often arduous, and can be complicated where plots of land are not yet mapped nor postcodes allocated. With annual housing starts up 23% in […]
Huge rise in people considering flood risk when buying a home
There has been a major rise in the number of people who think that flood risk has become a more important consideration when buying a home compared to a year ago, according to a survey out today. The YouGov poll for GroundSure, the country’s leading provider of property data, found that 78% of UK adults […]
MoJ gives CILEx members full practise rights
The Ministry of Justice has approved full practise rights for CILEx members. The Lord Chancellor, Chris Grayling, has confirmed that he will make the Order needed so that CILEx members can be authorised to practise independently in the reserved areas of probate and conveyancing. Alongside approvals of rule changes on litigation, advocacy and immigration activities […]
Maxwell Hodge strengthens property arm
North West law firm Maxwell Hodge has appointed two new members of staff to its growing property law team. Carole Carr has over 20 years of experience as a Licensed Conveyancer, with her last role at Butcher Barlow Solicitors in Manchester, before which she worked at Canter Levin and Berg for over 18 years. Alison […]
Number of empty homes hits record low
The number of empty homes in England has dropped to its lowest level ever recorded. 2013 saw the amount of vacant properties drop by 75,000, the biggest-ever annual fall, leaving the total amount of empty homes in England at its lowest ever level of 635,127. The number of unused homes in the country peaked in […]
Online map helps professionals establish property information
Today, Land Registry launches its latest digital service, MapSearch. This free service offers land and property professionals a searchable online version of Land Registry’s Index Map that contains the location of all registered land and property in England and Wales. This marks a significant step in its drive to provide straightforward and convenient digital services […]
Property Lawyers unanimously reject plans for changes to Land Registry
Property lawyers and conveyancers have no appetite for privatising the Land Registry or making changes to the 150 year old body as proposed by the Government, according to a survey by the Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO). The results showed a unanimous rejection of the proposals with 97% of the conveyancers polled saying privatising […]
Moneypenny’s Mad March
March is proving to be a busy month for telephone answering specialist Moneypenny. With rising numbers of law firms seeking support either on an overflow or fully outsourced basis and call volumes remaining high; Moneypenny’s Legal Receptionist teams are growing with two new teams of four added since Christmas. Elsewhere in the business, […]
CoPSO speaks out on strike action over Land Registry plans
With the government currently holding a consultation on the future of the Land Registry, proposing it’s part-privatisation, the PCS Union has said it will not rule out taking strike action. The Land Registry has been a part of the civil service since 1862 and its office in Swansea employs over 400 people to gather and […]
PEPA slams Pickles for loss of £6mil in EPC information
The Property and Energy Professionals Association (PEPA) has written to The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, highlighting the amount of money lost due to his department’s inefficient use of energy information. Three independent studies concluded that over 15 per cent of consumers implement energy efficiency recommendations in Energy Performance Certificates […]
Lender Exchange Interview
Lender Exchange, a privately run centralised panel management system for lenders to collate information from law firms in the conveyancing sector, is set to launch over the next few weeks. Today’s Conveyancer spoke to Justin Parkinson, Managing Director of Decision First, which will operate Lender Exchange, in the run-up to launch. When does Lender Exchange […]
Eight new buyers chase every new instruction
A study has revealed that there are now eight buyers chasing every new instruction on the market. With attractive mortgage products like buy-to-let now on offer, competition for property across the country is rising, with the number of new buyers up by over a quarter annually, at 26 per cent. The findings also showed that […]
Market continues to tighten as demand strengthens further
The February 2014 RICS residential market survey has shown a continuation of trends since mid-2013, with the headline price net balance remaining positive as prices continue to rise across the UK. Sustained increase in demand coupled with a lack of new instructions has kept house prices rising, with findings showing the most acute lack of […]
High LTV lending hits six-year high
Lending to high LTV borrowers reached a six-year high in February, the highest monthly number since April 2008, a report reveals. Monthly high LTV loans topped 11,000 for the first time in six years, a rise of 74 per cent, according to the latest Mortgage Monitor from e.surv, the UK’s largest chartered surveyor. Just over […]
Broker Conveyancing adds Gordons to panel
Broker Conveyancing has announced it has added Gordons Property Lawyers to its solicitor firm panel. The broker-focused conveyancing distributor has added the Maidenhead-based solicitor firm to the panel with immediate effect and broker users will be able to instruct it for remortgage business only. Gordons is a privately-owned remortgage conveyancing specialist offering competitive fees and […]
LMS joins forces with the West Bromwich Building Society to launch new legal panel and online portal
LMS has joined together with the West Bromwich Building Society to launch and manage its conveyancing panel, through the use of an innovative online portal. As part of the collaboration, LMS is providing legal panel management services for the building society’s approved solicitors and conveyancers, as well as offering conveyancing services. To join the new […]