| Stamp Duty Land Tax |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) was introduced on 1 December 2003 and replaced Stamp Duty in respect of land transactions. Stamp Duty was an old tax which required the existence of a document, such as a conveyance. SDLT is a very different type of tax and the new regime is intended to be robust. This factsheet sets out some of the basic things you need to know about the tax. |
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| Buying Development Land and Making a Profit |
| As many as 25% of sites have major problems that mean they either cannot be developed or will not make a profit so getting an expert property development solicitor involved, before you purchase the land, is crucial to resolve potential problems or manage any risk. In order to make a profit from buying and developing land there are a number of important factors to take into account. |
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| Buy to Let Properties |
| In recent years, the stock market has not proved to be a successful investment. Add to this the serious loss of public confidence in pension funds as a means of saving for the future and it is not surprising that investors have looked elsewhere. This has resulted in a massive expansion in the buy to let sector. |
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| Buying a Home Abroad |
| Buying a property abroad seems to be fast becoming a British obsession. The idea of owning a bolt-hole in the sun is not only viewed as a significant lifestyle choice, but also as an important investment to either bring in a regular income or provide a lump-sum nest egg to supplement retirement. |
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| Boundary Disputes and Rights over Property |
| Disputes over the position of a boundary or rights over a neighbouring property, are often impossible to resolve to the satisfaction of both parties, and in many residential cases the costs involved in litigating the matter are many times the value of the land involved. |
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| Stopping a Developer in My Back Yard |
| You’ve found the perfect place to live. You’re happy there, and you don’t want to change, and then a developer comes along and wants to build a new estate (or worse) right next to your home. What can you do to stop it? |
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| Do I Need Planning Permission? |
| If you are conducting work on your property, your office or another building that you own the first question to resolve is whether planning permission is needed. If work is done without permission then the ultimate sanction of the local planning authority would be to force you to demolish the building, at your own expense. |
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| Equity Release |
| The rapid increase in property prices over the last 15 years has led to a huge expansion in the number of home owning pensioners and retirees sitting on large value assets. This has paradoxically come at a time when many pension schemes are failing to deliver the promised returns, and the cost of living is spiralling ever upwards. This is giving rise to the phenomenon of an ‘asset rich, cash poor’ generation. |
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| Encountering Problems with your Estate Agent |
| Moving house is a momentous - and at times stressful - life event, and many people looking to buy and sell property engage the services of an estate agent to help make the process run as smoothly as possible. Nevertheless, things don't always go according to plan. Buying and selling property represents a significant financial (and emotional) investment, so it is important to put in place measures to reduce the likelihood of any issues arising, and to know where to ... |
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| Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas |
| Listed buildings, and those buildings which stand within a conservation area, are covered by protective legislation. The law stipulates that before certain works or alterations are carried out on any such building, it is necessary to obtain the appropriate consent; failure to do this constitutes a criminal offence. |
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| Considering Timeshare Agreements |
| Buying a timeshare involves procuring the right to spend a specified period of time in an overseas property, such as a studio apartment or villa within a holiday resort, on an annual basis. |
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| Recovering Possession of residential property against a tenant |
| As a landlord, you may occasionally find that it is necessary to take action to recover possession of a property against your tenant(s). This factsheet sets out some of the points you should consider, and the action you need to take, when dealing with the sensitive issue of tenant evictions. The information provided is intended for guidance only, and relates to the law currently applying in England and Wales. |
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| Dealing with squatters or trespassers on your land or property |
| If you discover trespassers or squatters in your property or on your land you will need an order from the court in order to remove them. In cases where the trespasser does not dispute your entitlement to recover possession, the procedure will be straightforward for obtaining the order and recovering possession, but if the trespasser does dispute your entitlement there will be a full hearing before a judge. It is always a good idea to obtain advice when seeking to ... |
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 (Locked) Sharing Property with the Elderly |
| Sharing a property with an elderly relative may seem to be the perfect answer to rising property prices, and concerns over care for the elderly, but people contemplating such an arrangement should be aware of the legal and practical problems which may arise. There are a number of different ways to share property, but an equal number of pitfalls, whether legal, financial or relating to tax. |
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| (Locked) Helping Your Children Buy a Home |
| Many parents seeing their children struggle to buy a house – either through lack of capital for a deposit, or the inability to meet monthly mortgage payments – will want to help. There are many ways in which to offer help, but an equal number of pitfalls, whether legal, financial or relating to tax. |
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