Category: Purchase

Public support for enhancement of green spaces
The pandemic and subsequent restrictions have highlighted to many the importance of green spaces for mental and physical health and wellbeing. Research commissioned by the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) together with the HomeOwners Alliance and carried out by YouGov in the summer of 2020, found that 71 per cent of those...

Price transparency in conveyancing shows solicitors are affordable
When consumers were unaware of how much a solicitor might charge, half assumed that they were an unaffordable option. A new survey has shown that now that prices are easily available to view, only 10 per cent think they are unaffordable. At the end of 2018, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) introduced new Transparency Rules...

Can I buy my parents’ home below market value?
It is open to children aged 18 or over to buy their parents’ home for less than it is worth, however this can have serious financial implications. Selling a home to children is often desirable, helping the next generation onto the property ladder, passing on the home without incurring estate agency fees and keeping a...

Yes! We’re still open. It’s business as usual.
Given last night’s announcement that the country is lie in a national lockdown, we wanted to let you know that moving home is still allowed as it has been since mid-May. Below is a link to the Government website with more information. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tier-4-stay-at-home#moving-home At LPL we will continue our usual Covid procedures: including working from...

The government’s Green Homes Grant
The government’s Green Homes Grant scheme, announced in July 2020, is live. The grant can cover two-thirds of the cost of specified energy-efficient improvements on homes in England up to a maximum of £5,000, or £10,000 for those on certain benefits. What green measures can be funded? Home improvement measures are split into ‘primary’ and...

Common house survey problems
If you’ve found your dream home, the last thing you want is a survey that reveals problems. However, this doesn’t mean that your purchase can’t go ahead. Usually, a solution can be found. When a property is offered for sale its condition isn’t always obvious. It isn’t until the surveyor has had a good look...

Buying A Property Without Planning Permission or Building Regulations
You’ve found the house of your dreams, that ticks all the boxes, that is until your solicitor finds out that there are no documents to show planning permission was obtained or that it has met building regulations. It is unlikely that a house will have been built in its entirety without planning permission; the most...

Understanding the important terms when moving home
Whether you’re buying or selling a house, you will come across a lot of terminology. Conveyancers are dealing with property transactions on a regular basis, but most people don’t move too often so it can be a bit overwhelming. Here is a list of some of the more common documents you are likely to encounter:...

Providing home buyers with the right information
If you’re selling a property, at some point you are going to have to complete a Seller Property Information Form (SPIF). It’s a fairly lengthy document that provides the buyer with lots of detail about the property you are selling. It’s an important document and is exchanged with the buyer and forms part of the...