Finding "the right buyer" for our clients is of the upmost importance. In this hectic market, where there are often more buyers than properties, it can sometimes be appropriate to introduce buyers before going to the open market.
The government has rejected a call to amend the current stamp duty holiday, which would have seen the tax benefit triggered upon exchange of contracts, rather than completion.
The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has released proposals to simplify capital gains tax in a new report following on from its review into CGT requested by the chancellor Rishi Sunak last year
Propertymark has chosen YoungMinds as its charity partner of the year.
There was another rise in the number of new prospective tenants in February, according to new data
Rightmove saw an immediate spike in activity on Budget Day following the chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement of an extension and tapered ending to the stamp duty holiday and the introduction of 5% deposits, as the portal recorded its busiest day ever.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is considering an extension to the current stamp duty holiday according to media reports today - and the House of Commons has confirmed there will be a debate on the issue.
The government remains committed to keeping the housing market open despite repeated warnings from scientific advisers that the existing current lockdown does not
Three leading conveyancing organisations have once again called on the chancellor Rishi Sunak to extend the current stamp duty holiday, which is due to expire at the end of March.
Agents and the housing market in England are still in business even during the national lockdown announced to take place from first thing Tuesday. The government’s official guidance for England says that agents, as with all other workers, are advised to work from home wherever possible.
The housing market is to stay open across the UK, including in the new Tier 4 areas of England.
A survey of people currently purchasing property suggests almost a third may pull out if they look likely to miss the stamp duty holiday deadline.
The next Budget will be held on March 3 next year - in time for Chancellor Rishi Sunak to change his mind over extending the stamp duty deadline.
Extension to Land Transaction Tax cut urged
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s has updated its guidance document setting out general advice and information predominantly for tenants and landlords in the private and social rented
Local plans must be consistent with national policy but can also take on board local planning issues. The Ashford Local Plan 2030 sets out the land that needs to be provided in the borough to accommodate new homes and jobs up to 2030
Travel between Welsh border is allowed for house moves after firebreak period ends Friday 06 November 2020 The Welsh Government has today released updated guidance for house moves during Coronavirus, confirming that from the 9 November (the end of the firebreak period), the restrictions on viewing properties will be lifted and agents will be able to make arrangements with prospective buyers and tenants to move home.
It has been confirmed that property viewings and home moves in England can still take place during the second lockdown, which begins on 5 November and will continue for at least four weeks.
The housing market is to remain open in the four week lockdown in England, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has confirmed
Countrywide shares yesterday recovered some of its earlier losses, but remained in negative territory after the property firm announced plans to raise £165m, while removing key members of its board including the chairman and CEO.
The housing market continues to benefit from the government’s stamp duty holiday, with residential transactions returning to pre-Covid-19 levels in September, but there could yet be room for strong sales growth over the next few months.
Buyers hoping for a repeat of the 2008/09 slump in residential property prices, amid economic uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 crisis and Brexit, have so far been left disappointed.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has claimed credit for a 15.6% monthly boost in property sales during August.
The government has accused campaign group Generation Rent of peddling “unreliable and misleading” figures about potential evictions in the private rental sector. Generation Rent has for some days been suggesting that 55,000 households had been served an eviction notice during the eviction ban period.
Record levels of surveyors are reporting house price increases as enquires, instructions and agreed sales continue to rise amid the Stamp Duty holiday, RICS has revealed.
Over £73,000 has been stolen from a Countrywide branch by two admin staff making false travel claims and issuing fake invoices.
The government has been slammed for its 11th-hour U-turn after extending the eviction ban for four weeks and instructing landlords to give the majority of tenants six months’ notice.
News of the temporary suspension of SDLT for property transactions up to £500,000 caused a tsunami of comment; most of it positive but some with words of caution. In the first half hour after the announcement traffic to Rightmove jumped by 22%.
Landlords and home owners will be able to fund energy efficiency improvements on their properties after a Green Homes Grant was unveiled by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak yesterday
Evidence is pouring in that the stamp duty holiday introduced 48 hours ago has already produced huge levels of interest from prospective buyers.
MORE SALES AGREED SO FAR IN 2020 THAN ANY OTHER AGENT IN THE ASHFORD AREA.
The Mortgage Lender Benchmark, a bi-annual independent research study that helps lenders to understand what brokers really think about them and how they compare with other lenders, will be released in early June.
After seven weeks of suspended animation, the news that the Government has reopened the property market was met with much relief.
Government advice on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak This guidance applies to people moving between private residential homes.
The nation is awaiting Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan for easing lockdown – due to be released toward the end of this week – but industry leaders have presented their own ideas for the property market
The Coronavirus crisis has brought the housing market to a grinding halt, but home movers across the UK remain determined to press ahead with their plans at the earliest opportunity
Estate agents should close their offices, and there should not be any in-person viewings, inspections or house moves.
COVID-19 UPDATE - During this time the best method of contact is sales@gouldharrison.co.uk or lettings@gouldharrison.co.uk
Zoopla has announced that it is to offer agents a free nine-month period of use. It is available to agents promising to leave Rightmove.
Rightmove is to slash its charges to agents by 75% for four months. Rightmove has also admitted that it got it badly wrong with its deferred payment scheme, and apologised.
Rightmove shares fell sharply yesterday after it told the stock market of its deferred payment scheme for agents.
Countrywide has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak asking for estate agents to qualify for the rates holiday that other high street businesses are getting
A number of property firms and landlord organisations have welcomed government action to support landlords and tenants affected by coronavirus.
As the property industry grapples with questions over the impact of the Covid-19 virus, Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis has attempted to provide some guidance on how coronavirus will affect private landlords and renters.
Countrywide shares fell by just over 30 per cent yesterday as the stock market blood-letting continued for property stocks.
A leading PropTech expert says there’s still more that can be done by the rental sector to drive up the quality of housing in the UK.
A landlord from Plymouth has been sentenced after failing to maintain gas appliances and failing to have landlord’s gas safety checks undertaken at his rental property in the city.
A steady start to 2020 in the Ashford market with a notable uplift in buyer confidence, compared with the same period in 2019.
Industry regulator the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) has been monitoring agents’ compliance with their guidance on disclosure of referral fees over the last 12 months.
Purplebricks share price fell 10% at one point yesterday, while the London Stock Exchange implemented a series of price monitoring extensions.
NAEA Propertymark has provided more evidence that supply continues to lag demand in the market.
Latest figures from NAEA Propertymark suggest a busy few months for agents during the run up to the Spring market.
The portal says Newcastle was the last city to cross the threshold, albeit some ten years behind its southern counterparts including London, Oxford and Cambridge
Nearly half of the short-term let properties available in one borough last year exceeded the legal 90-night limit.
The conveyancing market ‘nose-dived’ in the last quarter of last year, with transactions down 15% compared with the same period in 2018 and down 8% on the previous quarter of last year.
An increasing number of first-time buyers secured a mortgage approval last month, surveyors claim.
Reviews site Trustpilot has revealed that it is conducting an investigation into the estate agent sector “at largeâ€.
OnTheMarket has announced today that traffic last month exceeded 30m visits. While this was a new monthly record, it points up the huge gap with Rightmove and Zoopla.
Shelter has attacked businesses including landlords and letting agencies for turning homelessness into big business.
Purplebricks in the UK has declined to comment on a report that in Canada, employees were offered paid days off in return for made-up five-star reviews on Facebook and Google.
Residential property sales remained above the 1m mark in the UK last year despite the political uncertainty, HMRC figures suggest.
ESTATE AGENCY COMPARISON SITES - Will I save money by going through a comparison site?
We have a number of properties available under our "Discreet Marketing" policy which are not advertised on the major property portals. Clients often choose this approach where certain criteria must be met in order to facilitate the sale and it is not deemed appropriate to offer to the open market.
The abolition of Section 21 eviction notices could be two years away. A Government spokesman said a timetable for the new Renters’ Reform Bill will be released “in due courseâ€.
Rightmove is reporting a big Boris bounce, with traffic up by over a quarter on this time last year, and defying the usual pre-Christmas slowdown.
Rightmove boss Peter Brooks-Johnson has issued a robust response to critics, saying that the portal “continues to deliver†value and innovation for its agent customers.
Humberts, one of the country’s oldest estate agents, is to be placed into administration. The news was broken to shocked staff on Friday, and they were told to expect their P45s.
There was an increase in the number of tenants experiencing rent increases in 2019, according to ARLA Propertymark.
Research by estate agency Benham & Reeves shows faltering confidence overall but brisk demand for London's 'super streets'.
OnTheMarket boss Ian Springett has reiterated the portal’s commitment to “fair pricing†– while heavily criticising Rightmove.
OnTheMarket boss Ian Springett has called on agents to revive the ‘one other portal’ regime – and not to keep feeding Rightmove.
The number of new sellers bringing their homes to the market is down 14.9% compared with this time a year, Rightmove reports this morning.
Exactly five years ago, in November 2014, EYE conducted a seminal industry survey on the rates paid by agents to the portals.
A disciplinary hearing involving Countrywide Residential Lettings is due to begin this morning at the RICS offices in Birmingham.
An agent has revealed that he was given 14 days by Rightmove to close down two of his three branches or pay subscriptions for all three.
A buy-to-let landlord has been ordered to pay almost £6,000 after the council was unable to determine if his property in Ashford, Kent, was occupied by multiple tenants.
Transactions in the prime central London market picked up 14% in the third quarter of this year, estate agents’ data platform LonRes has reported.
Woodford Investment Management cut its stake in Purplebricks to less than 5% as his entire investment empire lay in ruins yesterday.
Yopa made a pre-tax loss of over £30m, its latest accounts have reported.
A senior Labour housing spokesman is urging the government to press on with plans to outlaw the use of Section 21 - despite the overwhelming opposition of the lettings industry.
The Leeds Building Society has announced a new buy-to-let mortgage product and a series of rate reductions.
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has accused courts across the country of failing to follow their own rules when it comes to landlord repossessions
A new, properly funded housing court is urgently required to cope with proposed regulatory changes, according to the Residential Landlords Association (RLA).
Purplebricks has strongly refuted claims that it has tried to skew Trustpilot reviews in favour of positive feedback. It has also denied that it invites customers to post their reviews at too early a stage of transactions.
The latest Leaders Romans Group accounts show a £30m pre-tax loss in 2018 plus debts falling due in the next five years – but £11m in the bank, and underlying operational profits of £17.6m.
Fresh analysis looking at rental prices across the UK and how they have increased over the last five years shows that York, Manchester, and Ipswich have seen the strongest growth during that period.
Zoopla has confirmed that it is seeing a contraction in agents’ membership and is expecting to see more branch closures.
An estate agent has gone into liquidation with concerns about possible missing client money.
Rightmove bosses have exercised their share options and enjoyed a pay day.
Tenant eviction specialist, Landlord Action, reports that up to half of Section 21 cases they handle are as a consequence of tenants wanting to be re-housed by the council
Property website Home.co.uk has hailed the end of the ‘price correction’ in London and predicted that price growth will return to the capital and southern regions of England and Wales.
Purplebricks has warned shareholders that it is in discussion with HMRC over its anti-money laundering procedures, and that there could be a potential cost.
blog for the British Property Federation has come up with three radically different proposals for stamp duty, providing food for thought as the government ponders how to fulfil its pledge to reform the tax in the near future.
The number of homes repossessed by lenders in the second quarter of this year was up by 15% on the same period last year – while a rise in mortgage possession actions has been driven by just one large lender, whose identity has not been revealed.
It now takes private landlords an average of 22.5 weeks from making a claim to the courts for a property to be repossessed to it actually happening, up from 21.6 weeks since the beginning of the year, new data shows.
Care should be taken if discussing or corresponding in any way about Stamp Duty with buyers, following a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman about a broker who gave incorrect information.
Care should be taken if discussing or corresponding in any way about Stamp Duty with buyers, following a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman about a broker who gave incorrect information.
Rightmove reported strong results this morning with revenue and profits up 10%, despite a 3% drop in agency numbers in the first half of this year.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering putting public funds into a new part-buy, part-rent plan.
These days, housing probably ranks right up with the NHS and education as a political battleground and over recent years, politicians made a particular effort to win the hearts and minds (and votes) of renters and first-time buyers (two groups in which there is likely to be a lot of crossover).
More than a third (36%) of homes in Southern England are in property markets experiencing house price falls as slowdown ripples out from London, according to Zoopla research.
The latest edition of The Deposit Protection Service Rent Index has revealed that the UK experienced a sharp rise in average rent – from £757 to £771 (up by 1.79%) – during the second quarter of 2019.
A tenant pretending to be a landlord has been ordered to pay more than £21,000 after he carved up five family homes he rented into unsafe bedsits – putting the lives of at least 40 vulnerable residents at risk.
The Property Ombudsman has warned agents that complaints about deposit replacement schemes could start coming in during the next six to nine months.
Savills is to integrate a minimum standards-style checklist into its systems as part of plans to introduce a “property MOT†for the rental sector.
Some of the most radical reforms ever proposed for estate and letting agents are expected to be signed off today by housing minister Heather Wheeler MP.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has been urged to review how deposit replacement scheme products are being sold to tenants.
In a literally last minute move, and as the industry entered an era of huge change, the Government waited until 60 seconds before the fees ban came in before it issued the final and vital paperwork.
The number of people remortgaging on to five-year fixes remains high ahead of a potential increase in interest rates.
Agents who fear that the tenancy fees ban could result in tenants making multiple applications have been warned that exactly this is happening in Scotland.
A State-backed national estate agency could be launched by a Corbyn government.
An online lettings agency that has been operating for 12 years has now opened a High Street office.
Nearly half (46%) of landlords and letting agents are more likely to remove their investment – some or all of it – in the private rented sector as a result of the Government’s plans to end so-called ‘no fault’ evictions by the abolition of Section 21.
Transactions in the UK sales market dipped last month. HMRC recorded 90,330 residential property sales for April, down 5.1% on a monthly basis.
Rental growth last month was almost flat across England and Wales despite regional variations.
A local newspaper is reporting anger after £30,000 worth of tenancy deposit money allegedly went missing from an agency.
Questions have been raised about the reliability of the Halifax House Price Index after it recorded a 5% annual boost in property values for April 2019.
Former City analyst Anthony Codling has said that Purplebricks founder and CEO Michael Bruce was pushed from his job. Bruce’s departure, announced yesterday morning, prompted a 12% fall in Purplebricks’ share price.
In February last year (2018), EYE reported that almost £250m (£249.5m) had been raised between ten online agents alone. Of that money, nearly 40% had been raised by Purplebricks.
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is threatening Oxford Council with a judicial review of its landlord and letting agent accreditation scheme.
Mounting numbers of House Network vendors have been contacting EYE after the online agent went into administration and the apparent buyers bought it out, only to decide against trading just days later.
House price growth hit a five-year low in January 2019, Land Registry data shows. Its figures revealed that house prices grew 1.7% annually at the start of the year to an average of £228,147, and fell 0.8% on a monthly basis.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has heavily hinted that his party will end Section 21 – the means by which landlords can regain possession of the properties without having to give a reason – if and when it comes to power.
Stressful experience, but made so much easier by the amazing team at Gould Harrison, any issues that arose were quickly and professionally dealt with effectively and they found me the perfect new Home
Rental growth outstripped inflation in all parts of the UK last month, research shows. Data from tenant referencing provider HomeLet found that the average UK rent on new tenancies in February was £940 a month, up 3.8% annually.
Proud to announce that Gould Harrison have been shortlisted for the upcoming ESTAS awards.
Rightmove’s share price fell hard on Friday, despite the firm announcing record results on the back of its advertisers paying an average of over £1,000 a month for the first time.
Haart is urging the Chancellor to relax the buy-to-let taxation crackdown after its data showed the number of landlord registrations was down by more than a third during January.
Right to Rent, by which letting agents and landlords have to check the immigration status of all prospective tenants, breaches human rights laws, the High Court has ruled.
Rightmove this morning announced a 10% rise in revenue along with an 11% increase in operating profits for last year.
Cast your minds back to the summer of 2014. It’s 9.55 am somewhere in east London ‘Sorry I’m late’ offers the young underprepared estate agent as he crosses the street weaving between 30 to 35 people
Emoov founder Russell Quirk yesterday described a story in the Mail on Sunday as “full of exaggeration†and “fake newsâ€.
Rightmove has been named as ‘probably the most outstandingly profitable business listed on the UK stock market’.
Repossessions last year fell to their lowest level for almost 30 years. There were 4,580 home-owner possessions, the lowest since 1980.
Staff at Reeds Rains and Your Move are continuing to push to be recognised as a ‘collective’ by their employer LSL, as the days count down to next Tuesday when they say their redundancies become official.
A legal firm has renewed its criticism of local authority licensing schemes, accusing them of “persecuting†landlords.
A survey of mortgage experts conducted by one of the largest specialist buy to let lenders suggests that Brexit is hitting the market and deterring borrowers
Foxtons’ share price held up yesterday despite the firm reporting that revenue from sales had fallen by £7m.
Only two-thirds of residential transactions were liable for Stamp Duty during 2018, the taxman has revealed.
Rightmove has sent out letters to agents telling them that their subscriptions are to rise. The portal has strongly defended its hikes.
A leading landlord has hit out at a lettings agency’s portrayal of buy to let tax changes.
Private rental sector tenants in England stay an average of 4.1 years in their property - casting doubt over the justification put forward by the government for the introduction of longer tenancies.
The Association of Residential Letting Agents says it backs the stricter rules on mandatory electricity checks in rental properties announced by the government - but it’s called for a delay on their introduction.
A tenancy deposit scheme was accused on a national radio programme yesterday of denying tenants “natural justiceâ€.
An estate agent is protesting about the practice whereby he alleges that employees who do not hit their sales targets have their basic pay topped up to meet minimum wage levels – but then have to repay that money.
New accounts filed at Companies House show that E-Prop Limited lost £9m, with liabilities of £22.8m, in the period from October 1, 2016, to the end of December 2017.
A new property management firm claims that an average of nine estate agencies have gone bust each week since 2010.
Charlie Bryant, managing director of ZPG’s property division, stressed: “There is absolutely a renewed focus on ensuring that our portal delivers the best solutions for both agents and those looking to rent, sell or buy their home.â€
House price growth in the UK’s main cities is at its lowest level since 2011, new figures suggest.
The company said that in the third quarter of this year, its offices showed an increase from 48% to 52% of landlords selling up to three properties, and a similar number selling between four to five properties, compared with the second quarter.
More than 75 per cent of first time buyers have benefited from the changes to stamp duty thresholds for introduced a year ago - but the measure is hugely more helpful to purchasers in the south of England than to those elsewhere.
The High Court today begins a Judicial Review of the government’s controversial Right to Rent scheme.
Trust the sale of your home to a market leading agent with unrivalled experience and local knowledge.
landlord has been ordered by a judge to pay a record-breaking penalty of almost £1.5m – or spend nine years behind bars.
Chancellor Philip Hammond is being warned that the property market is “in a parlous stateâ€.
Russell Quirk has sent this email out to staff:
An angry lettings agent has emailed Cabinet minister James Brokenshire to show his disgust at the government’s U-turn over deposit caps.
Agents and landlords have united against what is being seen as the latest attack on the private rental sector by the government.
Shock figures released by an insurance company suggest that councils are woefully unable to police new regulations regarding mandatory HMO licensing.
Landlords who have had enough of being ‘bashed’ to organise boycott of businesses that support Shelter
The Government has insisted it is on track to hit its target of delivering 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020’s as official figures show house building hit a decade-high last year.
A substantial study by university academics suggests that changes to the benefit system lie behind the long-term rise in homelessness from private rented housing.
Online agents that charge customers hundreds of pounds upfront but do not sell their homes are operating a scam – says a pioneer of the online industry.
An analysis of 30,000 tenancies by PropTech firm Goodlord suggests that the upcoming ban on tenants’ fees could impact most on the poorest areas of the country.
additional tax on property purchases by overseas investors has been backed by the Association of Accounting Technicians
The shock findings of a new survey suggest that 32 per cent of landlords would be less likely to buy new rental property if the government were to introduce compulsory three-year tenancies.
Solicitors have hit out at online agents as causing delays in transactions. At a recent round table event, one solicitor said they were a cause for concern.
lettings agent described as ‘rogue’ by a London council, along with two lettings companies, have been heavily fined for operating a dangerous unlicensed HMO.
The Tenant Fees Bill returns to the Parliamentary agenda this week with Shelter among those turning up the pressure for it to go further.
An extraordinary property scam is apparently gaining ground, whereby prospective tenants are being asked for “viewing deposits†by people who do not own the property in question
First-time buyers are now paying £209,000 to get on the housing ladder – a 21% hike over the last ten years.
We sold our home with the help and support of the great team at Gould & Harrison whilst living abroad
We have received excellent service from start to finish with Gould and Harrison from valuation to selling
Purplebricks is witholding commission from Local Property Experts because of breaches of anti-money laundering rules.
Massive down-valuations on properties creeping across Britain, say mortgage brokers
Countrywide is in the last-chance saloon say its own advisers
An analysis of HMRC stamp duty statistics for the second quarter of this year suggest that receipts are down 13.8 per cent, or £317m, from the same period of 2017.
No fewer than 93 per cent of landlords financing buy to let property chose a fixed rate mortgage in the second quarter of this year according to respected broker Mortgages for Business.
With the continued indecision surrounding Brexit and the final divorce settlement still months away, it seems property buyers are choosing to adopt a wait and see attitude towards the housing market.
Some 78% of Britons place high importance on environmental sustainability when choosing a new home, according to a recent survey by BLP Insurance.
The Tempus column in The Times has issued ‘Sell’ advice to investors over Rightmove shares. Friday’s column, by Miles Costello, said Rightmove’s “growth options look limited in a market that is already wildly competitive and set to become more soâ€.
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