Help and Advice

Conveyancing can seem like a tricky subject to get your head around. For many, it’s a lot of legal buzzwords and jargon. People aren’t often familiar with what a conveyancer does, but that’s okay; it’s an incredibly specialised role.

Almost anywhere you go in the UK, simply look up onto the rooftops around you, and, chances are, you’ll see some black solar panels soaking up some sun. Whether you’re in the middle of a big city or looking across the fields to a farmhouse, solar panels are everywhere. That’s because there’s never been a better time to bring green energy to your home.

In order to sell or rent any property, with only a few exceptions, an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) must have been applied for. These remain valid for 10 years from the date of the initial survey.

When a property is ‘sold with vacant possession’, it means that the property should be empty of tenants and furniture on the day that you complete your sale or purchase of it. The only items that should be left in the house, if any, are those that have been agreed with the buyer in advance and have been written into the contract.

With the government continuing to support the building of new homes, it is becoming more and more likely that the property you’re interested in buying will be a new build. New builds have many benefits; they’re a fresh canvas that you can make your own, chain free, energy-efficient, and they come with a new build warranty.

A transfer of equity is a change in the co-ownership of a property. You might arrange a transfer of equity if:

Stamp duty is a tax you may have to pay to HRMC if you buy a residential property in England or Northern Ireland over a certain threshold. The amount of stamp duty you pay depends on your circumstances. There are different requirements for first-time buyers, couples going through a divorce and those purchasing a second property, for example.

In the buying and selling process, completion day is the last step. It’s when ownership is transferred from the seller to the buyer, and the money is transferred between the parties. An exciting time for both the buyer and seller!