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Whether to Buy/Rent Advice Please
Hello, I’ve just returned to the UK from the Middle East for 8 years. I will start working in London but currently based in Manchester with family for the short-term (need to be in London 2-3 days/week). To reduce the commute the plan is probably to be based closer along the train line (Crewe, Stafford) either renting or…
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Chimney removal certificate
Hi all, I’m a first-time buyer and would really appreciate some real-world advice from people who’ve been in a similar situation. We’re in the process of buying a semi-detached house in London. A survey has just been carried out, and it’s confirmed that the chimney has been removed on all floors. The seller says this was…
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buy to let landlord tax saving scheme question
does anyone have any contacts for reputable tax advice for landlords and tax restructuring.? im looking for regulated professional companies only please , i had been in talks with property118 in recent months but they are very sales pushy and the fees are really high , whats confused me greatly is a recent article by dan…
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Guardianship Schemes?
Does anyone know anything about rental properties under guardianship schemes? We are considering a short term rental between houses and a couple have come up listed as guardianship properties. Rolling 28 days notice for both sides. This makes us a bit nervous. Typically how long can these tenancies last? Could we be faced…
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Selling a house for the first time - struggling!
We bought our first home in 2022, at peak pandemic price, when properties were selling like hot cakes. We had been renting for 7 years before, and we bought into the idea that we needed to get on the property ladder sooner rather than later. We bought a 2-bedroom semi, new build, with a surprisingly large, SE facing…
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Buying a leasehold flat has been the single worst experience of my life
I started this process in May 2025 when I had an offer accepted on my first flat I tried to buy. After 5 months of forms, waiting for packs and information, enquires, weeks of back and fourth with very little progress being made, I dropped the purchase. All because the seller didn't want to pay his own fee of a deed of…
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Sheltered housing criteria
I currently own a home and would like to move to another area where my parents live. It is a more expensive area so buying is out of the question. They both live in sheltered accommodation and moved there 20 years ago. They previously owned a property, sold it and now pay rent. There is no warden. I also would not need a…
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Timeline for receiving written acceptance in Scotland
Hi all, I wanted to ask how normal it is to wait 2+ weeks for written acceptance from seller on a flat offer in Scotland. Verbally offered on a flat on June 25th that was accepted verbally on the day, then a few hours later my solicitor sent out the written offer to the estate agent to forward to the seller. It's been more…
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Creation of Residents Management Company - Insight sought
Hi everyone, I’m looking for some insight from anyone who has set up or taken over a Residents' Management Company (RMC) specifically for a small private road. Our developer is ready to hand over the freehold of the road to us. I’m stepping up as a Director, but I want to make sure we aren’t being taken for a ride on the…
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Section 21
Hi, My daughter has rented a student house for the last 2 years. Her current AST is due to expire on 30th June. Can the landlord issue a section 21 on the 30th April and make them leave on 30th June, or will they be protected under the new rental rights bill? Thanks
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Whopping stamp duty or wait it out?
is it normal to pay 50k stamp duty? Are people actually paying this? Seems hefty!!!! I want to buy a place to let out but 50k plus extra seems a bit much? Are people in UK actually paying this? Seems very dissuading. Or is it just me being tight!?
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Manage the CGT on the sale of a rental property
Hi All, Please excuse my rambling, just trying to enter details that maybe relevant. My wife and I jointly own a rental property for 10 years, it has increased in value approx 50K in this time. I would like to sell and legally avoid/manage as much CGT as I can. I also own my main residence. On personnel note, I can…
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FTB cash-only flat with short lease and major works pending
Hi all, I’m a first-time buyer and would really appreciate some guidance before I submit an offer on a flat I’ve viewed. The property is listed at £130k and is a probate, cash-buyer purchase due to the lease only having 54 years remaining. A neighbour on the building committee reportedly bought their share a few years ago…
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A niche SDLT question.
(posting for a colleague) A married couple A & B owned their own home. For historic reasons it was always in the sole name of A. They then decided to move to another part of the country, due to work commitments B moved first with the intention that A follows a few months later. B moves into a doer-upper. The property is in…
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Proving Source of Funds
I hope this is the correct place to post. My son is experiencing difficulties in proving the source of funds for the deposit on his first house. He was left an inheritance when he was 4 years old. This was held in trust until he was 18 when it transferred to his name i 2016. He is now 27. The Solicitors are insisting he…
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Shared ownership stamp duty for staricasing
Hello, I am new into this but I will try to be brief I read a previous thread but it was closed so I could not reply back. From reading , I understand these are the info you will need at the moment. I am considering staricasing and trying to figure out the cost of stump duty. Here are the facts that I know. - property…
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Selling a park home
Hi everyone, my father has just got into a residential care home and he was living in a park home. Luckily, it’s under my name and has been for nearly 10 years so I can sell it. However, the owner of the Park has said before he would let us sell it on the open market we have to fix the fence which I think is fair enough…
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Retirement Village in Breach of Repairs Contract?
Hi My Mum lives in a Retirement Village, where she shares ownership of a bungalow. In December she had a burst pipe behind the kitchen units. She has a RepairsPlus contract for which she pays £43.99/month. An engineer came out & repaired 2 sections of copper pipe, which were badly corroded. It transpired that whoever had…
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Would you buy a house that had previously had spray foam insulation?
I had an offer accepted recently on what I thought was my dream home. A few weeks later I've been informed by the estate agent that it has spray foam insulation in the loft, which the vendor is going to have removed prior to me arranging a survey as he knows it's not mortgageable as it is. I hadn't heard much before about…
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Proof of funds for estate agent.
Hi all, Have tried searching to no avail and asked in my first time buyer thread but easily missed in there and not had a response...so... As well as my mortgage in principle, the agent has asked for evidence of my deposit. Because I'm using a LISA this is a slightly complicated picture in that most of it is in my LISA and…
