Archive

Plans to set ground rents at a ‘peppercorn rate’ are reported to have been dropped amid opposition from freehold campaigners and...

The UK Government should make better use of property taxes to deter foreign buyers, boost property supply and raise tax revenue,...

The Spring Budget last Wednesday rounded out to be mostly a disappointment for the property industry, but it was also perhaps...

Following the disappointment of his Autmn statement, many property professionals were hoping for a kick-start to property sales in Jeremy Hunt’s...

Propertymark has added its name to calls for Stamp Duty reform and has also urged lenders to develop more affordable mortgage...

The Government’s latest attempt to bolster the property appears to be 1% deposit mortgages. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is reported to be considering...

Agency trade body Propertymark has expressed hope that housing will be a key part of the Spring Budget after the Treasury...

The Autumn Statement ended up being silent on Stamp Duty reforms and direct housing market stimulus but there were some nuggets...

A client account is essential to your lettings business, but the rules and regulations you need to follow to keep this...

Propertymark has urged the Treasury to do more to alleviate the cost of living crisis for those on low-income budgets, reduce...

The mortgage rate rollercoaster is finally winding down but pressure will remain on the property market, Knight Frank claims. New commentary from...

To help or not to help: that is the question the government is facing with regard to under-pressure private rented sector...

Funny how time flies faster as you get older and I’m reminded that next week, (23rd September, to be precise) it...

The National Association of Property Buyers’ Jonathan Rolande gives his latest take on the property market. Having just got back from holiday, I am...

Propertymark has given its backing to simplifying how firms are regulated under anti-money laundering (AML) rules. The Treasury is currently consulting on...

The long-awaited Renters Reform Bill was finally introduced in Parliament in May, but is it really good news for tenants? Several...

The majority of mortgage lenders have committed to showing more flexibility to struggling borrowers but the Government has confirmed that support...

  The over-50s could make the best estate agents, an industry training platform has claimed. It comes as the Treasury unveiled plans for...

A well known critic of stamp duty has returned to his long-standing theme of querying whether buyers have paid too much...

The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is the direct result of European Legislation. They were introduced because of the Energy Performance of...

A former minister has questioned whether the Government has a long-term commitment to reform Stamp Duty to boost transactions and has...

Propertymark has called for Stamp Duty incentives and wider funding to make homes more energy efficient. It comes as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt...

Aside from all the news surrounding the Autumn Statement this week, which will have a significant bearing on the property market...

The property sector braced itself for the chill wind of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement this week. His pre-Budget comment that he...

Collapsed online agent Doorsteps owes more than half a million pounds to company creditors including Rightmove, HMRC and the Treasury, documents...

A Bill to bring the Government’s Stamp Duty reductions into legislation reached its second reading in the Houses of Parliament this...

Housing Secretary Simon Clarke has left Cabinet after Rishi Sunak officially entered Downing Street as Prime Minister this morning. Clarke cited his...

House price growth slowed both annually and monthly during August, new figures show, as commentators warn a property market slowdown is coming. The...

With the Treasury and the Bank of England stepping in to try and calm the markets, talk of an emergency interest...

The confirmation of an immediate Stamp Duty cut last week may have meant delayed sales could complete, but there are concerns...

Agents and property professionals have backed the creation of Investment Zones to help boost housebuilding but have called for more clarity...

There has been an understandable focus on things other than Government since the death of Queen Elizabeth was announced, but Prime...

First off, my own quick tribute to the Queen, who died on Thursday afternoon aged 96. Despite her age and declining...

New Housing Secretary Simon Clarke may be an unknown entity to many agents but he has a track record of supporting...

The government has rebuffed calls to assess whether different rates of Stamp Duty could incentivise property development or sales of energy...

Housing Secretary Greg Clark, who is also the Levelling Up Secretary, has been caught up in the storm surrounding Rishi Sunak...

The government’s new Right to Buy policy for housing association tenants appeared to unravel last night after the Housing Secretary said...

The government is being urged to expand and make the Treasury’s mortgage guarantee scheme permanent and compulsory on home loans above...

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) has long been the bugbear of many property transactions. Even the very wealthy will lose interest...

At least 18 MPs have come out in favour of a new annual Proportional Property Tax which would be levied on...

Typical stamp duty paid by property purchasers now is actually 84 per cent more than before the pandemic and the SDLT...

Figures just released by HM Revenue & Customs show the Treasury enjoying a bumper year for stamp duty, with record receipts...

An industry trade body wants the government to scrap the three per cent stamp duty surcharge on additional homes - and...

Foxtons has this morning launched a £3m share buy back programme, representing a major windfall for its investors. A statement from the...

Agents are being told by a trade body to conduct more frequent risk reviews and check purchaser identities against up to...

Stamp duty statistics show that the introduction of a two per cent surcharge on residential properties by overseas buyers, means HM...

A stamp duty loophole in one part of the UK is likely to be closed later this year. Until now buying a...

A leading accountant is warning of a possible stamp duty change affecting residential property this year. HMRC is currently consulting on a...

HM Revenue & Customs is consulting on how it can clamp down on property professionals and buyers who allegedly try to...

The Treasury has enjoyed a record period for stamp duty income. In England from April to October this year - so almost entirely...

A stamp duty surcharge which has been labelled ‘forgotten’ because of its low profile has nonetheless bagged £45m for HM Treasury in...

The government has given more details of its bid to change the energy efficiency of existing and new homes to meet...

There’s good news and bad news from the shake-up in government ministers and ministries that was presented to the nation last...

New figures from HM Treasury have revealed that businesses, including a number of major agencies, have returned £1.3 billion in furlough...

A surprise statement from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors says the stamp duty holiday, which goes on until the end...

A leading tax expert is advising investors to “plan your disposals” after new Capital Gains Tax figures have raised speculation of...

There’s gathering momentum to do ‘something’ about the unfairness of council tax and stamp duty. This isn’t new in principle. Agents have...

The Stamp Duty holiday has been very beneficial for hundreds of thousands of buyers looking to take advantage of savings, even...

The youngsRPS agency now has a fifth branch in the north of England - it’s in Darlington and will cover the...

Figures released from the government show 19,400 people in the real estate sector are still on furlough - suggesting some agents have back...

The Planning Bill, which will introduce changes to the planning system in England, was announced last week in the Queen’s Speech....

A report by the Office of Tax Simplification on Capital Gains Tax has called for a series of changes. They include extending...

There’s a new warning that the estate agency industry may be in a more fragile financial condition than before the pandemic,...

The government has launched a formal consultation process on a new residential property developer tax which is to contribute towards cladding...

If you’re worried the stamp duty holiday is denying the Treasury of much-needed income, think again. Stamp duty receipts soared to £1,196...

Foxtons is facing another shareholder revolt over the bonus being given to its chief executive despite taking £7m in state Covid...

It’s costing taxpayers £750,000 just for the government to update its IT systems to handle the stamp duty holiday.  In a document...

Some 30 tax documents have been released by HM Treasury this afternoon - a mix of responses to past consultations, proposals...

There is growing speculation that a raft of tax proposals to be unveiled next week will include reform of Capital Gains...

There’s a warning this morning that possible tax reforms to be unveiled next Monday could wreak huge damage on the property...

Pressure is building on London agency Foxtons to repay its furlough funding. The company issued an upbeat trading statement on Wednesday; while...

Labour says Chancellor Rishi Sunak “will give away half a billion pounds to second homeowners and landlords through the stamp duty...

In this week’s In Conversation Today, I speak with Anthony Payne, Managing Director and co-founder of LonRes, a data and network...

It’s been revealed that some far reaching changes to property taxes may not be unveiled at Wednesday’s Budget and may wait...

With just two days to go, it's fair to say the property industry is eagerly awaiting Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Budget statement...

A new mortgage guarantee scheme to help buyers with small deposits will be revealed on Wednesday at the Budget. Chancellor Rishi Sunak...

The online petition which prompted a debate by MPs has now won the support of around 150,000 signatures. Typically public support for...

You can always tell when Budget day is approaching. There’s lots of comment from every imaginable quarter about what the Chancellor of...

An MP demanding a root and branch reform of property taxation, including scrapping stamp duty, says the chance of fundamental reform is...

Smaller independent agencies that took out government Bounce Back loans to help them through the Coronavirus crisis now have more time...

There is no scientific formula, no list of must-have elements in a successful campaign. That’s especially the case for a campaign involving...

A group that last year floated the concept of a one-off wealth tax - which would include taxing main homes as...

The government is keeping everyone guessing about the stamp duty holiday but one comment by a senior minister suggests movement towards a...

Labour and Conservative MPs have expressed a unanimous view on their desire to see an extension of the stamp duty holiday...

You can watch the Parliamentary debate on a possible Stamp Duty Holiday extension here, using the streaming link at the bottom of...

Today’s the day when Parliament debates a possible extension to the stamp duty holiday beyond its March 31 cliff edge deadline...

Homeowners staying at home during another lockdown are doing more than sharing memes of groundhog day or doing family quizzes on...

A large majority of estate agents fear a surge in 'failed sales’ as the stamp duty holiday cliff edge gets ever-closer. The latest National...

It's been announced that MPs will after all debate the Stamp Duty Holiday extension following a hugely popular online petition. The 90-minute...

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is considering an extension to the current stamp duty holiday according to media reports today - and the...

A national newspaper is today launching a campaign for the stamp duty holiday to be extended. The Daily Telegraph says its campaign...

The president of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors insists that the organisation is acting on recommendations of a probe into...

A customer due diligence training webinar is being held for Rightmove members next week. This is the third anti-money laundering training webinar...

There’s growing optimism that an extension to the stamp duty holiday - thought to be off the agenda just days ago...

Following a turbulent 2020 in which the property market and the professionals working within it excelled in the face of unprecedented...

As we approach the end of the year, there is no doubt that it has been a turbulent 12 months for...

MPs want the government to publish the names of estate agencies and other companies claiming furlough funding. The all-party Public Accounts Committee of...

Around half of all estate agencies selling homes for £5m or more have not even registered for anti-money laundering processes, and/or...

A leading property consultancy is suggesting that a possible increase in Capital Gains Tax could end up losing money for the...

The UK has topped the rankings for the highest property taxes as a percentage of overall taxation in the developed world...