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Housing Market set to have its busiest Christmas in more than 10 years..

The boost to the pent-up demand, and flurry of activity has pushed house price growth to 3.5%, the highest since December 2017, accordingly to the latest House Price Index.

This means the average UK house price is now £233,500, according to House Price Index. It is expected that house price inflation will reach 4% by the end of the year.

A combination of sustained buyer appetite and more homes on the market has boosted the number of new property sales agreed, which are running at 38% higher than a year ago.

If you are looking to buy your next home, register your search requirements with us today.

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Take advantage of the temporary stamp duty cut before time runs out…

From 8 July 2020, anyone purchasing a property will find that the threshold for paying stamp duty has increased to apply to properties of £500,000 or more, instead of £125,000 (or £300,000 for first-time buyers).

Prospective purchasers won’t need to pay stamp duty on properties they purchase that fall below this new threshold, as long as the property completes before 31 March 2021. The government estimates that “nearly nine out of ten people buying a main home this year will pay no stamp duty at all.”

Landlords purchasing a buy-to-let property in England and Northern Ireland would still pay an extra 3% of stamp duty on top of the rates paid by those purchasing their own home. The potential large cost saving from the stamp duty cut may prove tempting for landlords considering entering the rental market, or expanding their portfolio – an influx at just the right time to meet the current strong demand in the rental market.

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Are you Compliant?

The laws around electrical safety in the rental sector have recently changed, as of 1st July 2020 it has become a legal requirement for all rental properties to have an Electrical Inspection Condition Reports (EICR) in place, and for it to be renewed at least every 5 years.

The requirements apply to all rental properties, including HMOs. Existing tenancies need to have acquired an EICR by 1st April 2021 and for new tenancies, landlords must provide a copy of the most recent EICR before the tenancies are signed. 

In the instance of an EICR report identifying a fault, the landlord must instigate a further investigation or carry out any repairs within 28 days of the initial inspection. Failure to comply with these new regulations can result in significant financial penalties of up to £30,000.

If you are stuck and don’t know who to call, contact Nick or Sophie on 01323 730004 to use one of our trusted contracts!

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The Launch of TheLettingSpecialist.co.uk

Welcome

We are delighted to launch our new website and welcome to all that use it. We hope you find it useful. Nick and Sophie have over 40 years of combined local knowledge and experience and are very much looking forward to assisting you whether you are looking to buy, sell, let or rent. 

We would both like to thank our existing clients, some of which have been with us for over 16 years. We very much appreciate your continued confidence and support in us. 

We look forward to welcoming your enquiries.