Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
As from 1st April 2012 the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) will be changing. Many people are familiar with the current EPC, which is required when any residential or commercial property which is sold or let. The EPC allows the prospective purchaser or tenant to see how efficient the property is from the Energy Efficiency Rating Graph and also the impact the property imposes on the environment, this is shown on the Environmental Impact (CO2) Rating Graph.
The new EPC will still provide this information together with recommendations to improve both ratings but will now include information about the ‘Green Deal’.
Posted on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Property Auction Market Positive at End of 2011
Latest figures show there was some good news at the end of last year, as the property auctions market finished the year on a three-month high, according to the National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers (NAVA).
Figures published by the Essential Information Group show that the number of lots sold at auction increased during December to 2,448 – a figure higher than in either October or November.
There was a slight difference between residential and commercial property sales. Residential property performed well during December, with an 11.7% increase in the number of properties sold (1,996 lots) compared with December 2010 (1,787 lots). In contrast, there was a 7.1% year-on-year drop in the number of commercial property lots sold (444 in December 2011; 478 in December 2010).
Over the whole year, a total of 32,646 lots were offered for auction, of which 24,125 were sold (74%). That compares with figures from 2010 where 31,457 were offered and 22,015 sold.
Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Following his success of writing study material for the ICBA Level 4 certificate in Commercial Property Agency, FSS partner Michael Hare has been appointed as Examination Unit Leader by the NFOPP Awarding Body for the modules in legal aspects of commercial property agency, market appraisal, valuation and inspection relating to commercial property, and building design and defect diagnosis for commercial property, and a 2nd examiner for the module in commercial property agency practice. In addition he has also been appointed as 2nd examiner for the Level 4 certificate in Residential Property Agency in the equivalent modules (legal aspects, market appraisal and valuation and building design and defect diagnosis).
Posted on Tuesday, January 24, 2012
To avoid hefty tax charges, FTBs need to have completed their purchase before 25 March 2012.
Relief is available if all of the following apply:
The effective date is on, or after, 25 March 2010 and before 25 March 2012the consideration given is £250,000 or lessthe buyer intends to live in the property and it will be their only, or main homethey have not previously owned property or land either in the UK or anywhere else in the world - including property bought with anyone else
This means that, up to and incuding 24 March 2012, the threshold for qualifying first-time buyers of residential property is £250,000. Financial institutions can claim the SDLT relief for first-time buyers using alternative finance schemes.
Posted on Thursday, January 19, 2012
In the year of the Olympics, Charles Smailes is going to conduct the charity auction at the “Tribute to Sport” Dinner which is to be held in The Long Room at Headingley Carnegie Stadium. The dinner is to be a spectacular event with numerous sporting stars, both past and present in attendance and some quality “money can’t buy” auction lots. The guest speaker is Adrian Moorhouse MBE, Olympic gold medal winning swimmer and one of SportsAid’s first ever Yorkshire recipients.
Posted on Friday, January 6, 2012
The number of homes coming onto the rental market because they cannot be sold is increasing in some parts of the UK, causing a rise in the number of ‘reluctant landlords,’ say ARLA.
During Q3 2011, nearly half (47%) of ARLA member agents surveyed reported a rise in the number of ‘unplanned’ lettings as homeowners turn to the PRS because they are unable to sell their property, or holding off until a higher price is achievable.
This figure has risen from 40% at the beginning of the year.
In England, this trend was noticeable in the North East and North West in particular, where higher proportions of respondents reporting an increase in rental property coming onto the market because it cannot be sold (67% and 62% respectively) .
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