Latest News
- Details
- Hits: 407
It’s great to be prepared with this, as it will avoid delays during the legal process.
Once you’ve found a conveyancer to handle your sale, they will ask you to complete a Property Information Form (TA6). For leasehold properties, there will also be a TA7 form. The information required is similar to that on an estate agent’s Property Information Questionnaire. You must complete these as honestly and accurately as possible with special attention to any ‘material facts’, which include things like a tendency to flooding, non-standard construction, party wall agreements, or anything else that may have a major impact on whether a buyer decides to purchase your home.
You’ll need some ID – by law this is required under Anti-Money Laundering regulations.
Next up, your Land Registry Title Deeds. If you can’t find your paper copies, check if your solicitor or lender has them. Alternatively, Land Registry holds digital records of most land and property so you should be able to order them online. The deeds are made up of a Title Register and a Title Plan, which you can order individually, or as part of a Comprehensive Pack, which also contains other documents and costs around £50. If your property isn’t registered, your conveyancer will need to apply for a first registration.
Your property can’t legally be marketed for sale without an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate). Your estate agent will normally arrange that for you as part of their service.
If your property is leasehold, you’ll need the lease and other documents relating to the service charges, buildings insurance, freeholder and managing agent information, etc. If yours has less than 80 years to run, you could look at extending it. Your conveyancer will help you with that.
If your property is under 10 years old, you’ll need your NHBC warranty documents.
If your property has undergone structural changes then you’ll need to evidence the planning permission and Building Regulations certificates, or indemnity policy documents.
And lastly, certification or warranties for any other alterations to the property, such as a gas safety certificate, an Electrical Installation Condition Report, and FENSA or CERTASS certification for windows, along with receipts or warranties for other work undertaken.
Gather all this together and you should be ‘sale ready’. Good luck and if you have any other questions, just give us a call on 01392 204800.
- Details
- Hits: 722
All of these do fall under the umbrella of being ‘one of multiple, self-contained dwellings in a single building’. However, each has its own definition:
Flat – a flat consists of one level (flat) storey, accessed via a communal entrance. You may have also come across the term ‘purpose-built’ flat – this is a flat in a building that was built purposely as flats, whereas a ‘converted’ flat is the opposite – it sits in a building not originally intended as flats but converted at a later date.
Apartment – stemming from American English, an apartment is also accessed via a communal entrance but unlike a flat, can be split over two floors. They’re usually better appointed and considered more luxurious than a standard flat.
Maisonette – these are set over two floors and have their own access from the street, either directly or via a private outdoor staircase. Maisonettes don’t usually share communal areas and are often, but not always, larger than flats.
There are other variants too:
Bedsit – this is a single unit which typically shares a bathroom and sometimes a kitchen, with others who live within the building.
Studio flat – a studio flat is a self-contained, multi-purpose room in which the living, kitchen and bedroom areas occupy one space, with a separate bathroom.
Duplex apartment – another American English term describing what is essentially a maisonette with two floors, although generally used for more modern buildings.
Penthouse – the top floor of a building, often the most luxurious and the most expensive apartment/flat in the building.
There are some variations, for example, some single-level ‘flats’ are distinguished as maisonettes by having their own separate door to the outside, and in Scotland, a maisonette may also refer to a two-storey apartment with a common entrance – we would describe this as a split-level/duplex apartment.
If we can help any further, give us a call on 01392 204800, and good luck in finding your new home!
- Details
- Hits: 391
Damp and mould can damage our health and properties, so this needs investigating. Sometimes, the cause can be linked to a structural element.
Depending on the type of property and the position of the mould: check any chimneys are swept and appropriately capped; check your gutters, downpipes, internal pipes and roof for leaks; that your air bricks and damp course are above ground; and that surface water runs away from the house. Does any brickwork need re-pointing?
Other factors, however, could be the root cause.
Ultimately, mould grows in areas of high humidity or damp. Years ago, homes had floorboards, chimneys, and other ways for air to circulate. Nowadays, they’re air-tight with thick insulation, concrete floors, and super-efficient windows, and with the cost of energy we naturally don’t want to let our heated air out.
The trouble with this is that there’s nowhere for our water vapour to go. An average, modern family of four produces more than 24 pints a day by just living – breathing, cooking, showering, etc; bigger families and those with pets even more. Surprisingly, it can take bathrooms up to seven hours to dry after a shower!
So, we must regulate the moisture content in our homes to prevent excessive condensation.
One of the obvious ways ways to prevent any build-up is to always use an extractor or open windows when cooking or washing, but general ventilation is a must, particularly in places where the air can become stagnant – in fitted wardrobes, behind furniture, and in bedrooms without external vents. So, open windows regularly and encourage air circulation - move furniture away from walls and leave wardrobe doors open every now and then. Unpopular though it is, experts recommend we keep our heating on low to provide a constant background heat, thus walls never get cold enough to condensate.
There are certain house plants which can help, we’ll cover those later in the week.
Good luck in your investigation. If it’s a structural issue, I hope it’s an easy fix. If we can help any further, just give us a call on 01392 204800.
- Details
- Hits: 837
This is a very broad question and one with many answers!
There are three major factors to consider before embarking on any such project - your long-term plan for the property, the scope of the work you’re prepared to carry out, and your budget for both buying the property and to cover the renovation costs. All of these will have an influence on where and what to buy.
Whether you’re looking to create your ‘forever’ home, planning to sell with the aim of making a profit, or generate an income by renting it out, there are some things you can’t change so make these a priority:
Location – a very apt principle to remember here is that it’s better to buy the worst house on the best street than the best house on the worst street.
Outside space – does it fit your needs or those of others who might live there? Is there space to extend without taking too much of the garden? Is there parking or scope to add it?
The local area – do any of the nearby properties suffer with subsidence or is there a history of flooding, for example? Also, have any of the neighbours extended or converted the loft space or garage? This may give an indication of the likelihood of gaining permissions.
Restrictions – is it listed, leasehold, or in a conservation area?
When looking at specific properties, look for signs of damp, structural damage such as cracks, and the state of the roof as these can be costly to repair. Think about their renovation potential and whether that fits within your scope of work and budget. Would you be able to carry out most of the work yourself or would you need to enlist the services of many tradespeople? Does it need new windows, a new kitchen, bathroom, heating system, complete rewire? Could you adapt the flow of the layout or add bedrooms or bathrooms, or could you extend with a fabulous new kitchen family room looking out onto the beautifully landscaped garden?
Do a cost vs potential income analysis. If the project is for profit then there will be an optimal spend:reward level, so keep an eye on your budget and try not to get carried away. If you’re creating your ‘forever’ home, you may want to go all out with wow features as you’ll enjoy them for – well, forever.
To find suitable properties, register your details and build a rapport with local estate agents and auction houses – this will ensure you’re ‘in the know’ about what’s coming to the market, and their expertise may be useful further down the line.
In summary, think carefully about the purpose and scope of the project, and make decisions in line with those objectives. Do your best to stick to the budget, and factor in any Capital Gains Tax on profits. Keep your head and it could be a very exciting, interesting, and rewarding experience.
Give us a call on 01392 204800 to discuss this further – we’d love to help!
- Details
- Hits: 2713
A flying freehold applies where part of one property – for example an upper room or loft space – physically extends over another. This means that the owner of a flying freehold does not actually own the structure which supports that part of his or her property. They are therefore entirely dependent upon the goodwill of the owner of the adjoining property for its upkeep and structural integrity. A flying freehold can also exist where part of a property sits over a communal access area, like an archway.
Of course, this sort of thing happens all the time with houses that have been converted into separate flats, or purpose-built apartment blocks. These are invariably leasehold, so there is always a freeholder somewhere who retains the power to compel each leaseholder to maintain their part of the communal fabric.
Fortunately, they’re relatively rare in freeholds in most parts of the country these days. Nevertheless, they do persist in some areas, particularly with older properties.
In practice, flying freeholds have been around for donkeys’ years without causing anyone any trouble. However, because they are different to the ‘norm’ and something of an anomaly, solicitors, banks and building societies tend to be rather wary of them.
So, you fall in love with the property you’ve seen and want to buy it… well, while it’s undeniable that the flying freehold could complicate matters and your solicitor will certainly want to check it out thoroughly, however, most of the difficulties associated with flying freeholds are easily surmountable – for example, by taking out indemnity insurance.
So, if you’re faced with a flying freehold on a property that you really can’t resist, my advice would be to go for it.
If you’d like to discuss this in more depth, give us a call on 01392 204800.