-
Advise needed to sell or buy to let
Hi all, I’m in a bit of a difficult situation and would really appreciate some perspective. The housing market is down, and we’re trying to sell our place but not getting anywhere near the value we expected. On top of that, our child’s school catchment is a big factor, and we need to sort things out before end of October…
-
Moving in under a year
Any guidance please. My wife and I moved into our new house in December 2024 and naively didn’t do much digging on the neighbour, we purchased from a friend who neglected to tell us how bad they actually are, but the past is the past and I won’t share the details. I’m keen to try and now sale the property and move out, as…
-
Flat has been on the market for 3 weeks now, and I've not had many viewing requests - is there anyth
I've had my 2 bedroom, 2 bath flat located in South East London on the market for 3 weeks now but I've only had 7 enquiries, of which 4 turned into viewings (1 of the viewers liked it but wanted a more modern kitchen, 1 of them the state agent was convinced was going to make an offer the following day, but then…
-
Selling house in auction
Hi, I put my house in auction with IAMSOLD. I haven't heard a single bid so far; this is one week on. What do I do? Should I pull out and go in the open market way or wait for 60 days for their contract to finish?
-
Record of past house sale prices
Normally it's easy to check past sale prices. However a house near me has gone on sale at what I think is a hugely inflated price. According to the agent there are no details of previous sale prices achieved. I know that this house has been sold at least 3 times in the last 20 years. I looked at 36 pages of sold prices for…
-
Selling problem due to ground rent
Selling problems with leasehold flat So I am in the process of selling my flat. We were told we were likely to exchange by mid April but yesterday found out my buyers lender are now refusing to lend because the ground rent will not be capped at £250. It’s currently £300 and has been since I purchased in 2021 - I don’t…
-
Mortgage recommendations for first time buyers
Hi, me and my partner are currently saving for a mortgage deposit and looking for recommendations for a first time buyer i.e help to buy, maybe things to look out for/avoid with new schemes. Also I'm self-employed and wondering how my income is calculated, is this based on pre tax profits ? Many thanks !
-
Share of freehold bought without consent of freeholder?
I live in a shared house with 3 leasehold flats and I and other leaseholder A share the freehold 50/50. The remaining leaseholder B tried to buy the share of freehold twice but was not successful as they changed their mind (and I was not happy to accept their changed request either). I had not been impressed with B's…
-
error please delete post
error please delete post
-
Shared ownership HA introducing new service charges 26 years into the lease
My shared ownership HA (Southern) are introducing a new service charges 26 years into the lease in spite of the fact that it's a repairing lease and I have full responsibility for all repairs and they haven't ever done any work on it. The only charges I have ever paid apart from the rent have been for the Buildings…
-
Land Registry Query & Rent Charge
Hi, I'm hoping someone might be able to help me, or someone from Land Registry might read this and be able to help out. I'm purchasing a property and as part of the solicitor's checks it has been identified that the property has a histroic rent charge of £4.50 on it. The lender (Barclays) have refused to lend unless this…
-
Auction house solicitor
Hello, I am looking to bid on a property at auction and am in the process of trying to source a solicitor who has the expertise to deal with the sale within the 28 days deadline. I would also like them to take a look at the paperwork prior to auction. I have looked online but wondered if anyone can recommend one as I am a…
-
Selling - Sole Agency Tie In
Afternoon all! First time seller here and I wanted to gain some advice as im a first time seller to getting to grips with being in “other end” of th estate agent experience. I’ve had 4 agents come value the house last week and all were pretty consistent in their valuation, marketing approach and feel for the local market,…
-
House which owns the freehold of flat underneath - issues?
Hi all, I am looking at purchasing a property and have come across one which I like, however the agents end the listing, with almost a throw away comment, that the property includes the freehold of the flat below which has a long term lease. I am relatively new to the property game, am I being extremely naïve to assume…
-
Conveyancing - Has anyone used Smart Legal in London for their conveyancing
We have received a number of quotes for the conveyancing for our flat purchase. Smart Legal of London are significantly lower than anyone else. Has anyone used them and can they recommend them?
-
Stairs issue with 'shortlist' house
Hi, I am hoping to move and unfortunately my budget doesn't meet my wants so there are compromises to be made. I like this house (floor plan below) which is an extended cottage. The stairs are very steep and end halfway outside the doorways on the two front bedrooms. I wondered if anyone had any bright ideas of how I could…
-
Mortgage rejected due commercial use of property
” Valuer has confirmed the property does not meet our criteria due to commercial use. It is self catering accommodation with no council tax band and has non domestic rateable value.” Hi - we are purchasing a house in the Scottish Borders that is currently self catering accommodation. Our mortgage lender won’t proceed as…
-
Adjacent Developer’s land
I’m not sure where this sits but any legal advice gratefully accepted . I have lived in an end terrace property for 22 years and the piece of land with bushes adjacent to the side of my house remains the property of the well known developer company. I asked to buy this when we first moved in and was told no as it was an…
-
Holiday Let or normal AST?
I thought of this question due to a different thread, so have posted it as a question to get some thoughts. How much more would it cost to rent out a property as holiday let rather than traditional rental? Basing on Sunday to Thursday serviced flat (thinking of long term contractors) Owner needs to pay for: Rates, gas,…
-
Stamp duty refund
Hi, can someone clarify the possibility of getting a refund on the 2% tax residency stamp duty? My wife and I returned to UK to live permanently on 15/09/25 after living in France for 8 years and plan to buy a house within 2 months or so. I understand from the HMRC website we are liable to pay an extra 2% as we haven't…
