Tag: conveyancing

Common new build faults and what to do about them
New build homes routinely have faults that need to be addressed after completion of the purchase. It is a normal part of the new build purchase process to compile a snagging list after you move in, setting out all of the problems requiring attention that you have discovered at the property. These can range from...

Phone number spoofing to defraud home buyers and sellers
Phone number spoofing is where highly sophisticated criminals use software so that when phone calls are received, the number comes up different to the one they are calling from and may show as that of a firm of solicitors. It’s also known as Payment Diversion Fraud and criminals will then pretend to be solicitors and...

The 10 most searched property trends
Financial services comparison website Confused.com has conducted research into the most popular interior design trends on social media platform TikTok. The study analysed hashtag data to see what people are searching for as inspiration for their own home aesthetic. In first place is Bauhaus, an art and design movement dating from 1919 to 1933 that...

Britain’s Most Haunted Houses – Could you live there?
Britain is packed with rickety old, haunted homes, creepy castles, chilly hostels and terrifying towers that would make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. All About Money carried out research which showed that more than 15% of UK adults believe that there is something ghostly going on in their homes and...

Less than one fifth of people can identify UK’s most invasive plant
A study commissioned by invasive plant specialists Environet and conducted by market research company YouGov has found that only 19% of people who say they are aware of Japanese knotweed can correctly identify it. The Environment Agency describes the plant as ‘indisputably the UK’s most aggressive, destructive and invasive plant’. YouGov asked respondents to pick...

Home buying: what to look for at a second property viewing
A first viewing is when you gain a general impression of whether a property is somewhere you can see yourself living. It is when people fall in love with a home. But at the second viewing you should take a more practical approach and conduct a thorough examination to see exactly what you will be...

Tips on how to deal with gazumping when buying a property
With the market for buyers difficult due to a shortage of available properties and a large number of people wishing to move, tales of gazumping are rife. We take a look at how to minimise the risk of being gazumped and what to do if it happens to you. Gazumping happens when you have had...

How a good garden can increase the value of your home
Recent research by tool store MyToolShed has found that looking after your garden can add a substantial amount to the value of an average property. This is particularly the case in cities such as London. A well-kept garden can add as much as 20% to the value of a home, meaning the average UK house...

The remortgage process
As mortgage deals become available with interest rates of below 1 per cent, remortgaging has the potential to save money for those currently paying much higher rates. For the first time ever, interest rates on a five-year fixed rate deal have fallen below 1 per cent as lenders compete for business. This is believed to...