Law Commission proposals on Leasehold reform process

Today, the Law Commission published a triumvirate of eagerly awaited reports on process issues for leasehold properties including a paper called ‘Leasehold Home Ownership: Buying your freehold or extending your lease’. Two other papers were published as well, namely – Leasehold home ownership: exercising the right to manage and Reinvigorating commonhold: the alternative to leasehold ownership This article will concentrate …

BUY OR SELL YOUR FREEHOLD

Stamp duty holiday and Companies and Landlords

The Stamp duty holiday from 8th July 2020 until March 31st 2021 is a very welcome boost to the housing Market. At Websters Surveyors, we’ve noticed a significant upturn in market activity even in the week since the holiday was introduced. The number of Home Survey requests is increasing as the number of other instructions. After a quieter few months …

Jessica receives NCRQ Qualification

Our Office Manager, Jessica Moss, has successfully received the ‘NCRQ Safety for Managers’ qualification during the lockdown period. To gain the qualification she had to complete a 2-day comprehensive online course that went into great detail about Health and Safety within the workplace, whether that be office based or on a construction site. Jessica was given five in-depth case studies …

Lease Extension Webinar

We’re used to providing advice on Lease extensions and Enfranchisement in crowded rooms in front of lots of invited guests. We like to con ourselves that attendees are there due to our charm and rugged good looks. We know though that it’s actually due to an insatiable thirst to know more about how to extend their lease. Of course! It …

#lockdownhaircutchallenge

Just over a month into UK wide Lockdown due to Coronavirus and my hair has got too long. It didn’t take much to convince my wife to cut my hair grade 3 all over. She works for the NHS and whilst she’s on maternity leave with our 3 month old, her colleagues are doing an incredible job at the hospital …

BUY OR SELL YOUR FREEHOLD

Property Tax changes for Landlords

Amongst all of the troubles of living in a Coronavirus world, one thing that hasn’t escaped us is that a new Financial tax year started earlier this month. As seems to be customary at present, Government’s all-out attack on Landlords has continued. I write this not only with the cynicism of experience but also as both a Landlord and a …

Leasehold reform Law Commission report – our thoughts

“I bought my flat thinking I own my home outright. It’s a scandal that I don’t” “The value of my freehold asset should not be reduced by my tenant getting something for less than it is worth to me, or for less than I paid!” On the one side of the debate are disgruntled leaseholders, many of which were not …

Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice £1,800

Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice is based in Barnet, Hertfordshire. They provide clinical and emotional support to babies, children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and their families living in North and Central London. They recently opened ‘The Ark’ in October 2019 which is a brand new facility offering specialist care and therapies to unwell children and their families. …

JAMI £1,675

JAMI is a Mental Health Charity and are a specialist provider of mental health services in the Jewish community. They are currently directly supporting around 1,300 people with the goal of getting them back into school or the workplace. They also provide assistance in Jewish Schools and Universities educating about Mental Health, how to spot warning signs and how to …

SHANOOR SECURES AN ASSOCRICS

On Sunday 8th of December 2019, I receive a call from our Graduate Surveyor Shanoor. First thought – I hope he’s alright! It’s a sunday evening so I wasn’t expecting a call. I wondered whether the stress of expecting to find out whether he’s passed his AssocRICS the following day had taken it’s toll. I didn’t have a chance for …

New RICS Home Survey Standard introduced

In November 2019, the RICS produced a new Professional Statement on Home Survey Standards. From June 2020 it will be compulsory to comply with the new guidance. It’s about time too! The array of previous guidance is being replaced with one document which provides set requirements for Surveyors to comply with when providing a Survey. We regularly have clients asking …