Are you tired of being a leaseholder? Would you like to own the freehold of your building, so you can make your own decisions without being subject to your landlord’s whims? You may not be aware that subject to various qualifying criteria, tenants who hold long leases of flats have a collective right to buy the freehold of the building containing those flats together with any common areas (e.g. gardens and car parks). This is known as collective enfranchisement. more
The housing situation in Britain reached crisis point long ago. Many of those moving into a home of their own are buying new houses, a move that is supported by the government through schemes such as the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme. But what if your dream new build turns out to be a nightmare of shoddy workmanship and numerous faults? Recently, Bovis Homes, one of the biggest housebuilders in the country was forced to pay £7 million to repair badly built homes have complaints from owners. Does this revelation mean more regulation is needed to ensure newly built homes meet a certain standard? And what can buyers do if their home has numerous serious defects? more
Note: On 23 June 2016, the UK held a referendum on its membership of the EU, with a 52% majority voting in favour of the UK leaving the EU. The legal references in this blog are accurate as at the date of writing, 25th March 2017. Do you dream of watching the sun set on a Greek Island? Or living amongst the locals in a French village, visiting the produce markets and drinking the local wine? Then a holiday home may be the best purchase you ever make. So how do you go about purchasing a holiday home? What are the pitfalls you should watch out for? Our guide will answer all your questions and more. more
Millions of people are struggling to get on the UK property ladder. Thirty-seven percent of UK families are now renting from a private landlord and the age of first-time buyers is rising, with 33 years now being the age most people purchase their first home, up from 31 years ten years ago. more
If you live in a terraced or semi-detached property (as a majority of people in England do), then you will have a party wall between you and your neighbour. However, like all boundaries between properties, party walls have the potential to cause disputes between neighbours. The law surrounding party walls in the UK is governed by the Party Wall Act 1996. more
Britain is a crowded little island; home to 64.1 million people. So like it or not (and most people don’t), living here means residing very close to your neighbours. more
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) was introduced on 1st December 2003 to replace stamp duty. Stamp duty was a charge on documents and was easily avoided by ensuring that there was no 'stampable' document. SDLT does not depend on documents. It is a tax on land transactions and aims to capture any transfer or creation of value in land for consideration. more
The dramatic rise in house prices over the past five years, especially in London and the South East of England has seen an increase in the number of people who will die leaving an inheritance tax bill. Once the curse of the gentry, with large country piles filled with art and a ‘little flat’ in town, almost anyone can now be subject to inheritance tax. more
If your rented property is in serious need of repair and your landlord has ignored your repeated requests to fix the problem/s, then you may be able to take court action to get them to fix the problem & provide you with compensation more
If you wish to build an extension on your home or put a summerhouse in the back garden, chances are you will need to apply for planning permission. more
If your neighbour’s tree is encroaching on you land you need to act quickly to avoid damage or further damage to your property. As a landowner you have a right to compensation if a neighbour’s tree is causing harm or disturbing your enjoyment of your property. more
If you have plans to renovate your residential property, then you will need to be aware of the planning permission rules surrounding the work you wish to undertake. more
Buying a home is an exciting process, especially if you are a first-time buyer. However, the legal process can be complicated and may seem to take forever. So if your fingers are itching to get hold of your new house keys, this guide will answer all the questions you have about the legal process of buying a home. more