UK Property Investment: A Guide for Overseas Buyers
Investing in UK property attracts a huge amount of international interest from buyers who are based abroad, as the property market (particularly the London market) offers potential for asset appreciation and high levels of rental income.
Leasehold Reform: is commonhold the answer?
As reported last week in various media outlets, the Government appears to be ramping up their plans to reform the ownership of leasehold properties, including a proposal to replace the current leasehold system with commonhold ownership.
Building Regulations Enforcement Periods: Section 39 – a Reminder
The Building Safety Act 2022 (the BSA) provided a significant overhaul of the law relating to building safety in England and Wales. The Act introduced several new provisions relating to building safety, and among these, Section 39 of the BSA has introduced key changes to the enforcement periods available to Local Authorities for breaches of building regulations by property owners.
Property ownership: Major shake-up proposals set to become law
Following the announcement of the general election to take place on 4 July 2024, a number of Bills (draft legislation) were pushed through parliament, whilst several others did not make the cut. At the time of the announcement, two key Bills were being deliberated in the House of Lords but had not yet become law.
Buying an investment property – what do you need to consider?
According to a report by Savills published on 18 January 2024, property prices fell by -0.2% and -0.3% across Prime Central London and Outer Prime London, respectively, during the final quarter of 2023.
Conveyancing searches: what are they, and why are they important?
As part of the process of buying a property, a lawyer will obtain, and report to the buyer, on a number of searches provided by third-parties. But what are the searches, why are they necessary, and what adverse information could they reveal?
Will the ‘feudal’ leasehold system finally be overhauled?
In what is expected to be one of the first pieces of legislation introduced in the parliamentary session before Christmas, the Government has announced plans to draft a ‘Leasehold Bill’, which if successful could dramatically reform the current leasehold system.
Property tenure: I’m loving freehold instead
With the introduction of the long-anticipated Building Safety Act in April, and the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act in June, you could say that in 2022 It Was a Very Good Year for leaseholders, who were granted additional protections from landlords in relation to both existing and new-build properties respectively.
The importance of accurate replies in conveyancing transactions – Downing v Henderson (2023)
During the conveyancing process, the seller of a property will generally be expected to provide a vast amount of information to the buyer, for example in relation to historic disputes, utility services (including electrical and gas inspections), flooding, third-party occupiers and any works that have been carried out.
Buying a property: what steps are involved?
The intricacies of the conveyancing process can often make the process of buying a property daunting. For that reason, having an understanding of what’s involved, and why, can prove the difference between you encountering either a frustrating or a stress-free transaction.
Selling a property: what steps are involved?
The decision to sell your property, whether it is your home or an investment property, can be a daunting one. For that reason, a general knowledge of the key steps that are involved in the sale process, and the order in which they can be expected to take place, can be crucial to ensuring that you are able to proceed with the sale smoothly and efficiently.