5th November 2021
The Land Registry has announced price rises across the majority of its fee scales which will come into effect as of 31st January 2022 - to see the range of changes please see
here.
1st October 2021
The Stamp Duty Holiday has come to an end and SDLT rates have returned to their pre-pandemic levels.
August 2021
The Stamp Duty Holiday comes to an end on the 30th September 2021 - SDLT rates will return to their pre Covid levels.
August 2018
LANDLORDS BEWARE! The law is changing for HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation). From 1 October 2018 in England, mandatory licensing is changing and The Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018 will replace the 2006 order of the same name.
The 3 storeys element is being removed meaning that any HMO occupied by 5 or more individuals (not all related to one another) will require an HMO licence.
The licence must be applied for before 1 October 2018 in order lawfully to continue renting out the property.
22nd November 2017
The Chancellor has announced the introduction of a new Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) relief for First Time Buyers. For purchases of up to and including £300,000.00 no duty is now payable. For purchases in the range £300,001.00 up to and including £500,000.00 SDLT is calculated at the rate of 5%.
For properties costing more than £500,000.00 the normal SDLT rules apply i.e. there is no first time buyer relief.
The maximum saving a qualifying First Time Buyer can receive under this new rule is £5,000.00. To qualify as a First Time Buyer you cannot have previously owned solely (or jointly with another person) the whole or part of any residential property anywhere in the world.
21st April 2017
According to news organisations the government is now cancelling the planned rise in Probate Fees. Read more
here.
28th February 2017
The government is bringing forward the necessary statutory instrument for the plans to increase probate fees to be implemented and the timetable for this increase is expected to be May 2017. The increases are HUGE and are set out
here.
29th September 2016
The Chancellor confirms the end of the Help To Buy scheme. See
Gov.UK official announcement.
16th March 2016
The Chancellor confirmed his Stamp Duty Land Tax announcement of November 2015 with some adjustments (3 year grace period for reclaiming duty and no exemption for "Professional" investors). SDLT rates for second home purchasers and buy to let landlords take effect from 1st April 2016.
25th November 2015
Stamp Duty Land Tax News - the Chancellor of the Exchequer has today announced a significant change to SDLT rates for second home purchasers and buy to let landlords.
[News Update] Please see
SDLT reforms for 2nd homes or buy-to-let purchases
BEWARE - the examples given in the official release from HMRC (see the link above) are inconsistent with the information within the release. Contrary to what is stated, SDLT for second homes / buy to let properties is charged on the entire purchase price
INCLUDING the first £40,000.
3rd December 2014
Stamp Duty Land Tax News - the Chancellor of the Exchequer has today announced a major change to the way SDLT is calculated. Please download
Stamp duty reforms on residential property - GOV.uk for further information and a link to the HMRC online calculator.
13th October 2013
Chancel Repair News - for an update on what is happening to chancel repair please visit
the Chancel Check news page.
8th October 2013
Help To Buy Scheme for second hand properties starts today. More details
here.
1st October 2013
PM announces changes to Help To Buy Scheme for second hand properties. For details please visit
Sky News.
NOTE. Borrowers will be able to apply for a mortgage from next week and participating lenders will be able to approve mortgages, however borrowers will not be able to complete until January when the Government guarantee is issued.
20th March 2013
The chancellor of the exchequer delivered his budget to parliament today and announced the help to buy scheme - the scheme appears to be a "work in progress" but the major points announced are as follows:-
- enables all purchasers to put down a 5% deposit on a newly built home, much less than some banks now demand.
- up to 20% of the cost of the home will be funded by a shared equity loan which will be interest-free for the first five years.
- the value of the shared equity loan is linked to the property's value. For example, if the value the property has doubled by the time the shared equity loan is repaid, the amount the borrower has to repay will also have doubled.
- In year six, borrowers will have to pay a 1.75% annual fee, which will rise by 1% above the Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation every year after that.
- The remainder of the value of the property is paid for with a standard mortgage, to cover up to 75% of the loan.
- Will be available to all buyers of newly built homes.
- No income limit.
- Will cover newly built homes up to the value of £600,000.
Borrowers will be able to apply from the 1st April 2013.
15th February 2013
Louise Greer attains approval and membership of the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) - the mark of excellence for residential conveyancing. The scheme requires a rigorous assessment by the Law Society in order to secure CQS status demonstrating that Louise Greer meets the highest standards.
Membership of the CQS is open only to members of the Law Society who meet the demanding standards set by the scheme and has the support of the Council of Mortgage Lenders, the Building Societies Association, Legal Ombudsman and the Association of British Insurers.
For more information on CQS please visit The Law Society.
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Good sources of news about the law are:
