News

The Government are looking at new ways to get people on low incomes on the property ladder. A review of a new model for shared ownership should allow more people to be able to buy more of their home including purchases with 1% increments. The new system is to be rolled out nationally. Thousands of…

A government investment of £600 million has been provided to build 50,000 in England. According to Chancellor Sajid Javid, the new homes will be in high demand areas with money from the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF). Potential sites all over England lack the required infrastructure such as roads, rail links, or schools. More of these…

A farmers grand-daughters lost their shares due to complications arising when their father dies without a will. The farmer died in 1992, leaving behind a wife and four children. His will left the farm to two of his sons and wife to be held as tenants in common. The will also stated that for the…

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee have questioned the value of the government’s Help to Buy scheme. They have stated that money invested into the system, could have been spent elsewhere. Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (the Department) introduced the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme in April 2013 due to the decrease…

The proposal for an increase in probate fees has been put on hold due to the issues in talks in parliament. It’s not yet know that the fess will increase or if they ever will be. The current flat fees are £215, or £155 where a solicitor is involved.  The plans were to introduce a…

In its first 12 months, a new online service to grant of probate applications has received a 92% satisfaction rating. This is based on the data collected by HM Courts and Tribunal Service. In July 2019, the new system was implemented to streamline the application process which are now dealt with at a central office…

Health organisations across the world are stressing the need for people to take preventive measures to protect themselves as they get older. Official guidance from the NHS says: “There is currently no ‘cure’ for dementia. In fact, because dementia is caused by different diseases it is unlikely that there will be a single cure for…

Homeowners purchasing properties under the Help to Buy are now able to use 35-year mortgages. The government is trying to remove a loophole where purchasers using the scheme have had difficulty applying for mortgages longer that 20 years. The changes, effective immediately, give people more freedom to reduce their monthly mortgage repayments by spreading their…

A judge has ruled that a son was entitled to a share of the family farm, despite having fallen out with his parents, because he had worked for more than 30 years on the understanding that the land would pass to him The High Court heard that in 1981, the parents made wills under which…

The number of affordable homes has increased according to the latest figures published by the government’s housing accelerator, Homes England. The numbers of house builds started and completed in the past 12 months are both up on the previous year. Between April 2018 and March 2019 there were 45,692 new house builds started under programmes…