Major lenders refuse to lend on property with spray foam insulation
Major high street and specialist equity release lenders have said they will not lend of property which has spray foam insulation installed. An investigation by the BBC has revealed five of the top 20 lenders, TSB Bank, Skipton Building Society, Co-operative Bank, Principality and equity release lender Aviva, will not lend on properties where spray […]
Just 11% of homeowners return to their previous conveyancer
Just 11% of homeowners return to the firm who completed their property purchase according to newly released data, despite 3/4 saying they would use their conveyancer again. Research compiled by TwentyConvey, part of TwentyCi, reviewed 30,000 sale transactions and identified just 11% of them were being transacted by the same firm who last bought the […]
Sellers undeterred by Budget says estate agency
84,000 more homes have hit the property market following the Autumn Budget indicating sellers were undeterred by the first Labour Budget in 14 years according to online estate agency Yopa. The agency reviewed for sale stock listings sourced from Rightmove looking at total market listings and what number had been listed for sale in the […]
Auction-style datarooms to streamline property transactions
Datarooms, popular with auctions houses into which property and legal documentation can be access by buyers and lawyers, could help streamline the home moving process following their introduction into private treaty sales. The claim has been made by Property Information Products (PIP) whose founder launched datarooms into auctions in 2007. David Sandeman of Essential Information […]
HMLR staff could strike following plans to mandate office return
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has said it will ballot workers at HM Land Registry over plans to ‘order’ staff to work in the office three day a week. PCS members at offices in Croydon, Birkenhead, Coventry, Durham, Lancashire, Gloucester, Hull, Leicester, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Telford, Wales, Weymouth will be asked whether they […]
Open letter calls for TA6 5th edition withdrawal
The Law Society have been accused of creating ‘uncertainty’ over its decision to extend the dual use of both the 4th and 5th edition of the TA6 Property Information Form, with the withdrawal of the form the ‘wishes’ of its members say pressure group the Property Lawyers Alliance. On 6th November Law Society CEO Ian […]
HMLR updates the the registration of personal covenants
HM Land Registry (HMLR) has announced it has made its process for entering personal covenants in the register more consistent with a new entry into the register effective from 13th November 2024. User will now see a new entry in the register in respect of personal covenants: HMLR says it will make this entry regardless […]
Diary of High Street Conveyancer – What a way to make a living
I saw a post on LinkedIn during the week about conveyancers working nine to five; or rather a post asking if conveyancers work nine to five? I will be honest and say I do not remember the last time I worked a nine to five day. I cannot remember the last time I finished early […]
Conveyancing membership body pushes back on climate change
Professional membership body the Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) have responded to the Law Society’s consultation on climate change defending the profession against the ‘burden’ placed on conveyancers, and advising firms to exclude any liability from the terms and conditions. In 2023 The Law Society published guidance confirming conveyancing solicitors’ overall duty to advise on […]
‘Cautious optimism’ after new build activity falls to lowest levels since 2014
An uplift in the number of homes developers have registered their intention to build has given rise to ‘cautious optimism’ from UK house builders according to figures released by the National House Building Council (NHBC). But the picture is tempered by 9% reduction in the number of properties completed by comparison to the same time […]
Property market still on the up says RICS
Buyer demand remains broadly stable and a slight increase in positive sentiment around agreed sales is the story of the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) monthly residential market report. The RICS Residential Market Survey is a monthly sentiment survey of Chartered Surveyors who operate in the residential sales and lettings markets providing a […]
Leasehold reform “years, not months away”
Reform of leasehold tenure is ‘years, not months away’ despite the passing of the Freehold and Leasehold Reform Act in the days before the end of the Conservative government earlier this year, delegates at this year’s Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) conference were told by Alice Bradley, co-CEO of The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE). Bradley’s […]
Dual TA6 form approach extended
The Law Society of England and Wales have confirmed conveyancers and property lawyers can continue to use both the 4th and 5th edition of the TA6 Property Information protocol form beyond the current 15th January 2025 deadline. Following uproar at the introduction of the updated form, in June the Law Society confirmed the proposed mandatory […]
What is Horizontal Digital Integration: And why is it relevant to conveyancers?
In the complex world of home buying and selling, where multiple stakeholders work together—from lenders to conveyancers, surveyors, and estate agents—a new digital transformation approach is emerging: Horizontal Digital Integration (HDI). Developed as a strategic methodology, HDI isn’t a single technology or platform. Instead, it serves as a framework for building a connected ecosystem where […]
SRA sounds warning on client account interest income
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has sounded a warning to firms reliant on client account interest income with a consultation to be launched next week which may result in reform of accounts rules and changes to the compensation fund. SRA Chair Anna Bradley has indicated reform to tighten the rules on client account interest and […]
“Invasive” bamboo warning as 1 in 4 homebuyers would walk away
Conveyancers and homebuyers are being warned of the potential impact of bamboo on properties as awareness grows of the damage it can cause, with a 50% annual increase in enquiries for bamboo removal relating to property transactions in the last six months compared to the same period last year. The research has been conducted by […]
Dear Sirs – are we missing the point?
A campaign to eradicate the use of “Dear Sirs” in correspondence is gaining momentum with an online petition launched on 1st October gathering over 1500 signatures. The petition has been launched by Ellie Rees, founding director of estate agency Brickworks, who tells Today’s Conveyancer the origins of her frustrations start 10 years ago when, having […]
Housing pipeline tops £113bn with market set for 1.1m transactions in 2024 – Zoopla
306,000 homes are currently working their way through the buying process to completion; and increase of 62,250 (26%) on the same time last year leading to predictions of a “bumper” final quarter for 2024 and into 2025. The latest House Price Index from Zoopla paints a hugely positive picture of the market with the largest […]
“Contrived” MDR claim leaves £80,000 SDLT bill
A ‘contrived’ attempt to claim Multiple Dwellings Relief (MDR) on a property has left the owner’s with an £80,000 tax bill after a first tier tribunal (FTT) ruled MDR did not apply. The property in question, a six-bedroom home in Upper Basildon, Berkshire, was transacted in August 2020. The tribunal was told the solicitors for […]
New “Ethical Principles” part of updated CLC Code of Conduct
Proposed changes by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) to its Code of Conduct have been approved by the Legal Services Board (LSB) and will take effect from January 1, 2025. A revised code of conduct was put to CLC in a consultation at the end of 2023, placing increased importance on knowing your client, […]
