Growth a key message in Kings Speech at State Opening of Parliament
Labour say their ‘mandate for change’ will see a raft of new legislation introduced designed to prioritise growth in the King’s Speech at the official State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday 17th July. The speech will include proposals to launch a National Wealth Fund to ‘drive investment into the UK,’ to a new Mission Control […]
1,150 homes every day until 2029 to meet housing targets
The new labour government must deliver just over 1,150 new homes every single working day for the next five years to achieve its stated aims of building 1.5m news homes in this Parliament according to estate agency membership group Propertymark. The representative body have called on the new government to provide a detailed plan on […]
Market ‘poised for upturn’ despite slow pipeline progress
The residential property may be ‘poised for a potential upturn’ despite transactions being over 40% down on 2019. A 6% increase in the number of new properties coming to market and listings remaining above 2019 levels since the turn of the year, point to a ‘possible return to more dynamic conditions’ according to the latest […]
Open letter calls for regulation of estate agency
An open letter signed by British Property Federation (BPF), Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Federation of Private Residents Association (FoPRA), The Property Institute (TPI) and Propertymark has called on newly appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner to introduce a regulated framework for estate agency. According to the signatories, […]
Market impetus expected in coming months – RICS
Weakening demand has not deterred a more positive market sentiment in the months ahead despite latest figures suggesting a fall in new buyer enquiries of 8% in May and 7% in June according to The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Current market dynamics according to the UK Residential Market Survey for June 2024 suggest […]
Digital Conveyancing: Elevating Trust and Efficiency through Digitisation
In the evolving landscape of property, digital conveyancing represents a pivotal shift, focusing on digitisation rather than automation. This approach aims to enhance the conveyancing experience by providing robust tools that integrate information seamlessly, ensuring reliability and fostering trust. At its core, digital conveyancing is about the digitisation of processes that traditionally relied on paper-based […]
PLAG blasts “condescending” Law Society protocol form delay
Property Lawyers Action Group (PLAG) has responded to the Law Society’s decision to delay in the mandatory implementation of the updated fifth edition of the TA6 Property Information Form, describing the decision as ‘disappointing’ and ‘condescending’ in a statement circulated on Sunday (16th June) evening. The group, which has been responsible for an online petition […]
Law Society delays updated TA6 introduction
The Law Society has announced mandated use of the updated TA6 property information form will be delayed until January 2025 to enable it to further consult members on the content and implications. In a statement released today (Friday 14th June) Law Society of England and Wales chief executive officer Ian Jeffery says “For many members […]
‘Devil in the detail’ – reaction to Conservative manifesto
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has launched the Conservative manifesto for the General Election on 4th July, at Silverstone race circuit. His speech held few surprises for property professionals with many of the policy commitments announced in the national press over the past couple of days. The Labour party are yet to publish their manifesto but […]
Number of first time buyers with dependents double since 2009
Analysis of First Time Buyer (FTB) trends have revealed the average age and personal circumstances of FTB’s in the UK. Nationally the average age of a FTB is 33 years 8 months old; meanwhile the number of FTBs who have at least one dependent has doubled since 2009. The data, which has come from Mojo […]
How will stamp duty promises impact buyers?
With both major political parties promising stamp duty reform ahead of the election, what does it actually mean for the electorate and wider property market. Labour announced plans to introduce a ‘Freedom to Buy’ scheme as part of its election manifesto, the detail of which is due to be published this week. In the Conservative […]
Manifestos reveal housing and first time buyer focus
Housing and a focus on first time buyers appears to be one of the main commitments of the major parties as their manifestos are published this week. Labour were the first to announce their plans over the weekend, although their manifesto is yet to be published in full. Party leader Sir Keir Starmer announced on […]
Top 5 tips for speedy CON29DW returns
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Drainage and Water Searches Network (DWSN), we are developing a series of webinars delving into the questions contained within a CON29DW search. Our first webinar, Top 5 tips for speedy CON29DW Returns, is now available on the DWSN YouTube Channel and below, which you can also access at […]
Snap poll shows support for vote of no confidence
A snap poll run by Today’s Conveyancer suggests sentiment toward The Law Society is low amongst conveyancers. 90% of respondents to a LinkedIn poll said they would ‘support proposals to call for a vote of no confidence in the Law Society.’ Last week calls by The Property Lawyers Action Group (PLAG) for a vote of […]
Parties break cover on housing with first time buyer pledges
The Labour party say it will make permanent the current Mortgage Guarantee Scheme if it is voted into power at next month’s General Election to be called “Freedom to Buy.” Introduced by then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak in 2021, the scheme broadly replaced Help to Buy in providing access to mortgages requiring lower deposits. Through the scheme […]
Pre-election property supply up, but for how long?
The number of properties coming to market has increased, with an uptick in demand also reported in the latest Housing Insight Report from estate agency membership and training body Propertymark. The report covers the month of April, just before Prime Minster Rishi Sunak announced the July 4th General Election. The average number of prospective new […]
Levelling Up: MPs need input from the industry for property transaction reform
The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee has launched an inquiry into home buying and selling in England. A cross-party group of MPs will scrutinise the current property transaction process, question relevant stakeholders, and make recommendations for improvement. Commenting on the review, Clive Betts, chair of the LUHC Committee, said: “The process of buying and selling […]
Transactions edge up month on month but 2023/24 a year to forget
Home moving transactions edged up 1% in March 2024 from 83,040 in February 2024 to 84,200 but remain 6% down on 2023 volumes. Meanwhile, annual volumes from April 2023 to March 2024 decreased 17% on the previous financial year to levels not seen since 2012/13. In 2022/23 there were 1,208,310 transactions; in 2023/24 this fell […]
TA form furore – stinging criticism of Law Society
The Law Society has come in for criticism for its handling of updates to the property protocol forms. The forms have been updated to include more information about the property that can be used for compliance with National Trading Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) guidance on material information. At the time Law Society president Nick […]
Conveyancers Need to Work Less and Earn More!
We keep telling ourselves as Conveyancers and business leaders that our Conveyancers need to do less – with additional work through conveyancing creep a significant issue – and our Conveyancers need to be paid more for their invaluable work. So, what’s the problem – how do we pay more and do less – provide a […]