Sales

If you own or are buying or selling a leasehold property, there could be some significant changes to think about in 2025. With a leasehold property, you own the property but don’t own the land it sits on. Instead, you have a lease on it for a set number of years. You also pay ground rent to whoever owns the land – the freeholder. There are five million leasehold properties in England and Wales....

What is the Boxing Day surge, and why should sellers act now to capitalise on it? Here’s what you need to know. If you’re considering selling your home, a big day for showcasing your property to potential buyers is nearly upon us. Boxing Day is often thought of as a day for eating Turkey leftovers, watching old films or visiting relatives (including some we’d perhaps rather not). But...

With the end of the year drawing closer, housing experts have revealed their predictions for 2025 and beyond – and the news is positive. According to national property firms Hamptons, Savills and JLL, the future looks bright. There’s no talk of a boom but rather cautious optimism for a steady-as-she-goes uptick. But first, a quick report card on 2024 The market has outperformed...

Grey, cloudy days and darker nights don’t show your property to its best advantage. So, here are a few simple lighting tips that will help turn your home from dull to brilliant. They’re ideal when you’re doing winter viewings. Make your house shine out Garden lighting will boost your property’s kerb appeal and showcase what your garden offers even when it’s dark. (As well as helping...

Now that the dust has settled on the Autumn Budget, let’s look at how it will impact the property market. When the Chancellor unveiled her Budget a fortnight ago, she didn’t do things by halves. Rachel Reeves went big on tax, spending and borrowing in a Budget that accounting firm PwC described as “a concoction of sweet and sour”. While the Budget didn’t turn out to be as seismic for...

The Bank of England meets tomorrow (Thursday 7 November) to set the official Bank Rate or base rate as it is also known. This is the rate that banks and building societies use to set the interest rates they charge borrowers. The last interest rate reduction was in August, from 5.25% to 5%. At the end of this summer, some experts were predicting there could be two more rate cuts this year. So,...

Think back to this time in 2022, and you’ll recall the mortgage market was in complete disarray. In the aftermath of the Mini-Budget, there was a frenzy of activity – none of it good for homebuyers or people looking to renew their mortgage. Worried lenders were pulling products left, right and centre, and the average two-year fixed deal jumped by 2% in just a month. But that was then, and...

PM Keir Starmer has already issued a warning that next week’s Budget will be painful… to help fill a ‘£22 billion black hole’ of debt. So, could this Budget be painful for homeowners? In this article, we’ll take a look at what Chancellor Rachel Reeves might be planning. Capital gains tax It seems highly likely that there will be changes to capital gains tax (CGT) – the tax you pay on...

Many people turn to comfort food to get through the colder, darker autumn and winter months. But reach too often for a plate of stodge, and your energy levels and waistline will pay the price. So, instead, why not make healthy homemade meals using seasonal ingredients to keep you fighting fit?   You could even do some batch cooking so that when you come home from work in the dark, the meal...

Cuckooing is a heartless crime that puts your tenant’s wellbeing at risk and leaves you, as the landlord, facing an array of legal issues. So, if you own a rental property, here’s what you need to know. What is it? The term ‘cuckooing’ refers to when a criminal gang moves into someone’s home and uses the property for illegal purposes. How it starts Criminals tend to target...