If you own a leasehold property, on a day-to-day basis you may not notice any differences from owning a freehold. However, leasehold means you do not own your property outright, only the right to occupy it for a set number of years. Your property is therefore a depreciating asset. The difference between owning a leasehold property and a freehold [...]
A house which ‘thinks’ for itself, adapting the ambient temperature minute-by-minute, watering your plants while you are away, controlling access based on biometrics. That may seem like the stuff of science fiction or Grand Designs. However, many of us have already incorporated smart devices into our homes, from smart lights you control from your mobile phone to video doorbells. [...]
When your offer on a new home is accepted, you will probably want to get things moving quickly. Before your solicitor can start work, there are some important checks that they must carry out to verify your identity and check your source of funds. Sadly, fraud has become an increasing problem in recent years, with professional criminals targeting conveyancers [...]
If you are selling a property, as part of the standard conveyancing process, your buyers will expect you to provide certain information about your property. There are set questions for this in what are called Pre Contract Enquiries that asks if you are aware of any problems regarding the property, or any complaints about the management company, or any [...]
When selling your home, you may recall the expression ‘buyer beware’. But what does this mean and is it still relevant today? ‘Historically, the buyers in a conveyancing transaction have been responsible for satisfying themselves on a property’s suitability,’ explains Deirdre McSorley, residential property solicitor with James Mc Nulty & Co. ‘Nowadays though, the situation is more complex. There [...]
A home with outside space appeals to many of us, but it may be hard to find somewhere affordable with a garden and even then, you may not want the responsibility of its upkeep. A balcony or roof terrace could give you that much coveted al fresco space without the maintenance headache. ‘It is certainly an attractive proposition,’ agrees [...]
What is the registered charge on a property? If you take out a mortgage to buy your home, your lender will almost certainly register a charge against it at the Land Registry. The charge does not transfer ownership. However, it will give the lender important rights, including the ability to sell your home if you default on your loan. [...]
As interest rates and economic pressures squeeze property investment returns, more and more landlords are leaving the private rental market. There have been claims in the media of a landlord exodus and if you are a residential landlord perhaps you have been thinking about selling up too. ‘The environment for landlords is certainly very different from a decade ago,’ [...]
Online auctions, especially the ‘modern method’ of auction, continue to grow in popularity. Last year saw a 40 percent rise in the value of property sold at auction, much of this online. But what exactly is the modern method of auction and is it something you should consider? ‘For a seller, there are certainly some advantages to the modern [...]
If you are looking to own your first home, you may wonder whether or not now is a good time to buy. On the one hand, the increase in property prices seems finally to have stalled. On the other, living costs and interest rates have risen sharply. Add to this the uncertain economic outlook and it is hard to [...]
