Advice from UK property experts

It’s every landlord’s worst nightmare.  You’re happily renting out your property to someone you believe to be a genuine tenant, only to discover the tenant is a criminal, has stolen your identity and sold your property using fake documents. It’s a fraud known as ‘property hijacking’ or ‘house hijacking’ and it’s becoming a serious problem.  …

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Building on a heritage For many decades, London’s unique and well-preserved architectural heritage made period conversions the default choice for buy-to-let investors.  As long as there were plenty of charming Victorian mansion flats to go round, new-build properties were regarded as the riskier option. Fast forward to the present day and we can see a …

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As lockdown restrictions lift in the UK, we are seeing the return of international investors to the London residential property market, with demand extremely high and homes with outside space driving market activity. But, there have been tax changes that could impact the market, particularly the new 2% Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) surcharge for …

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A recent YouGov poll revealed that 42% of homeowners wished that they had paid more attention to certain details during the house purchase process. However, buyers’ regret is an emotion that can be largely avoided if the right set of questions are asked. Here are my top ten tips for what homebuyers should be asking …

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This year has been challenging for all of us but another issue that landlords need to address is the tax changes that have also taken place this year or are planned for next year. Landlords should consider the implications of these tax changes according to their own personal circumstances.

As London Estate Agents with branches across London, we know how hard it can be for first-time-buyers to get on the property ladder but there may be good news just around the corner. This year, the UK government has announced several financial measures to help homebuyers, ranging from the Stamp Duty holiday to Prime Minister …

Continue reading “How much deposit do I need to buy a house or flat?”

Getting the full market rent for your property should be simplicity itself because there are loads of people who need to rent a place in London, right? Well, the demand is certainly high, but with greater choice available, there are some obvious things that can devalue a property and make potential tenants and buyers run …

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As the world emerges from the COVID-19 crisis, unpredictable economic conditions are becoming the new reality. Across time, solid investment decisions have tended to gravitate towards property, which, apart from supplying immediate income, tends to provide long-term capital gains as property values rise…

If you’re a family looking to move to London, one of the biggest considerations is proximity to good schools. As London’s population continues to grow, the competition to live within the catchment area of the best schools is very strong with buyers willing to pay a premium to be within walking distance of the capital’s …

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Making Tax Digital is a government initiative aimed at moving businesses and individuals (including landlords who own rental properties) towards keeping digital records and reporting digitally to HMRC instead of keeping traditional paper records. The aim is to make it easier and more efficient for businesses and individuals to maintain their tax records and submit …

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What is the new 2% Stamp Duty that will affect foreign buyers? Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in the recent budget that the government will be introducing a new 2% Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) surcharge for overseas investors not resident in the UK who buy residential property in England and Northern Ireland. This will take …

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What is the 3% UK Stamp Duty Land Tax surcharge? In 2016, the government introduced a 3% Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) surcharge for anyone buying an additional property in the UK. This applies to additional homes, buy-to-let properties and holiday homes. The 3% surcharge still applies, irrespective of the new, reduced Stamp Duty rates …

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