A year to remember
House price growth across the UK is at its highest level in 17 years, with double-digit increases in all regions except for London and Northern Ireland. This is according to Nicky Stevenson, MD of Fine & Country UK, who adds that while price growth may moderate over the coming months, for many the reassessment of […]
Searches UK and HM Land Registry Seminars
Searches UK and the HM Land Registry are joint hosting a series of informative and interactive Free Legal Seminars to provide an update on the current developments and a look into the future of the legal conveyancing sector. The CPD accredited events are designed to inform conveyancers and solicitors on a range of interesting topics […]
Property at risk of potential £413m subsidence damage due to climate change
Gamma Location Intelligence (Gamma LI), which provides risk assessment technology to Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance companies, is aiming to help the insurance industry save hundreds of millions of pounds in claims through its latest partnership with Terrafirma. Together, Gamma LI and Terrafirma – a company which helps homebuyers, lenders and insurance companies to assess […]
How TIM WOODS can improve productivity in your conveyancing firm
In the conveyancing world, fixed fees are paid for purchase transactions or completed sales, therefore time spent on activities that add no value to these transactions will eat into the profit a company earns. In the world of Lean, we call this non-value adding time “waste”, and Tim Woods is to blame. (Tim Woods isn’t […]
Detached homes make up 35% of new build purchases
In line with reports that larger homes have been popular with home movers as more space is required to accommodate home working, Warwick Estates has revealed that the new-build sector has made a significant contribution to detached housing supply. An analysis of new build property sales since the start of the pandemic show that some […]
SQE: Landmark new route to qualifying as solicitor launches
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will today introduce the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), marking the beginning of the biggest change to how aspiring solicitors can enter the profession for almost 30 years. Aspiring solicitors will now be required to take two sets of centralised assessments designed to evaluate competence for entry to the profession, as […]
Cyber Essentials – simple, effective and affordable cyber security for the legal profession
Are you in the cyber hot seat? With reams of sensitive personal data and transactions that involve large sums of money, the legal sector is undeniably a massive target for cyber crime. Cyber Security – A thematic review published last year by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) reported the many costs of a cyber attack to a legal […]
Air pollution search launched for conveyancers and home movers
A new report aimed at educating home movers on air quality around their prospective new home has been launched. This month, Air Pollution Services launched their AirChecker™️ which will make it easier for consumers and their property professionals to get the information they need to make the right decision. The Air Pollution Services’ (APS) report is […]
Exclusive New Webinar – Preparing for Completion Safely and Efficiently
Most conveyancers will recognise that sinking feeling as an unexpected problem or requirement raises its head on the day of completion. Dealing with multiple completions on the same day means that you need well thought out procedures to ensure that no details are missed or mistakes made. Fortunately, help is at hand! Stewart Title has invited […]
You can rely on our commercial searches for potential high street homes
New rules making it easier for commercial buildings to be converted into residential homes have come in to force this month. As part of government plans designed to revitalise the UK’s beleaguered high streets, it’s now possible to transform an unused commercial building such as a former shop or café into a home without going […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer; 31st August 2021
So what are the words or phrases that others (particularly estate agents) say which make your heart sink? I have one; “could we take a view on it?” In my experience, that does not mean “could we take a view on it?” It does in fact mean “let’s decide not to go down a particular […]
Strong pipeline predicted for conveyancers into the Autumn
Conveyancing quote volumes peaked in Spring at more than double the usual level but dropped by 18% in June and a further 21% in July to reach more normal levels according to figures produced by reallymoving. But the figures indicate that the property market will remain resilient throughout the Autumn according to CEO Rob Houghton. Reallymoving […]
Fewer over 55’s plan to downsize
More over-55s are hanging on to their homes removing millions of homes from potential circulation and adding to the current housing shortage according to a report released by Legal and General. Less than 25% of over 55 homeowners (around 2.9m) intend to downsize in the near future, which is fewer than indicated their intentions to […]
HMLR Practice Guide updates
HM Land Registry has released details of changes to the following Practice Guides in its latest update. Charities: advice for applications sent to HM Land Registry (PG14) This guide is aimed at conveyancers and legal advisers to charities and to those acquiring land from charities. Change made: Section 6.5 has been amended to confirm HM […]
SDLT holiday may not be responsible for property market surge
Influential think tank the Resolution Foundation has suggested that the temporary stamp-duty was not the “overwhelming driver” behind the surge in property market activity and that underlying factors instead responsible for driving house prices up, indicating that the stamp-duty holiday may have been a waste of taxpayers money. Data from the Resolution Foundation’s quarterly Housing […]
Rural new-build market on the rise
Rural new builds are on the up as home movers take advantage of flexible working a reduced daily commute. While new-build developments are far more prevalent in urban areas there are a number of rural living locations that also benefit from a healthy stock of new build homes, Research from Warwick Estates reveals the rural […]
Leaseholders continue to wait for “levelling-up”
The lack of progress on leasehold reforms is leaving thousands of homeowners in a potentially costly waiting game and in danger of losing out. The Government announced long-awaited reforms to ‘level up’ the leasehold system at the start of the year, including scrapping ground rents and ensuring leaseholders can extend effectively forever. However, without a […]
Up to 3m homes powered by hydrogen within next ten years
The UK government wants up to 3m homes to be powered by hydrogen by 2030, as part of its strategy to move to the low carbon energy source. Its hydrogen strategy released today sets out how transport, business and construction will harness the green-friendly gas creating up to 9,000 new jobs and unlocking £4bn in […]
SQE: Qualifying work experience will offer trainees greater flexibility
Ahead of the 1 September launch of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), the Law Society has today unveiled guidance to answer common queries for law firms and organisations on qualifying work experience (QWE) for trainee solicitors. Under the SQE, candidates must complete two years QWE in order to qualify as a solicitor, as well as […]
£40m Government loan supports new retirement living homes
Hundreds of older people are set to be provided with new homes thanks to a £40m funding injection from Homes England, the Government’s housing agency. The loan from the £4.5bn Home Building Fund will accelerate the construction of 255 mid-market retirement homes in Audley Group’s Mayfield Villages portfolio, in a segment of the market that […]