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Catchment areas and house prices

Is now a good time to move house? How far should parents plan ahead to ensure their child goes to their dream school? The Halifax House Price Index in July 2023 found the average house price to be £285,044. While the media often reports that house...

Essex law firm announces retirement of senior solicitor after 24 years

Senior specialist in high value residential property work and commercial property, Kurt Goddard, has retired from Birkett Long, but will remain with the law firm as a Senior Consultant. Kurt joined Birkett Long in 1999 and became a Partner in 2001. After...

What will 2023 bring? Is it possible to predict the future?

Though the last few years have been the most turbulent in recent times, the property market has continued to soar. The question now, as we begin 2023, is will it finally stall or merely pause to refuel? Low-interest rates…a thing of the past? ...

Tax exempt gifts at Christmas

Christmas is a time when friends and family come together and often swap presents between loved ones. Many people this year are still feeling the financial repercussions of COVID-19 and are deciding to gift away cash gifts, rather than physical presents...

The bank of mum and dad: The tax implications

First-time house buyers are reported to be increasingly turning to the bank of mum and dad to help them supplement their house deposits. If you are a parent considering giving your children money for their house deposit, below are a few things that you...

Price transparency rules

As from the 6 December 2018, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) made it compulsory for solicitors to display prices and service information if you work in particular areas. Conveyancing is one of them. The rules stipulate that price information must...

Birkett Long appoints Solicitor to its growing residential property team

Solicitor Jemma Jones has joined Birkett Long’s Colchester residential property team. Jemma qualified as a solicitor in 2015 and has worked at well-respected firms across Essex and Suffolk, so she knows the area well. Jemma will be based at the...

Making a conveyancing process more effective

Buying or selling a property is not something that we do very often. Whether it’s your first or last time, or you’ve bought or sold a property multiple times, it can be a stressful process. The conveyancing process is generally straight forward...

How easy is it for first time buyers?

There is no doubt that the current market is becoming increasingly attractive for first time buyers. Whilst the stamp duty changes are less lucrative for investors, first time buyers can relish in the positive change. As a result, first time buyers will not...

Current leasehold concerns

Many will be aware that following the initial changes to the Nationwide Building Society’s mortgage instructions, the Government is now looking at ways of controlling or regulating the grant of Leases for houses.  Indeed, it has gone so far as to...

How to deal with Restrictive Covenants

Whether you are considering building a new extension, a single house or developing a large site for multiple properties, best practice is to first check the deeds of the property for restrictive covenants.  Restrictive covenants may appear on the legal...

Property advice - buying and selling can be daunting

Buying and selling property can be a very daunting prospect for most. At Birkett Long we take the pressure away, at least when it comes to the legal work involved.  However, before you instruct us, there are some things to think about. Buying a...

Gazumping is back for unique homes

Gazumping, the scourge of the 90s housing boom, is back warns a property expert at Essex law firm Birkett Long. Now that confidence is returning to the market and property prices are rising, Kurt Goddard, Partner and head of the firm’s real estate...

Are you aware of your roots?

It has generally been thought that landowners will not be liable for damage caused to neighbouring properties by the roots of their trees unless they are aware of the possibility that such damage is being caused and fail to act.  However, in the recent...

The pitfalls of solar panels

It is difficult not to notice the outbreak of solar panels across the nation's roof slopes.  Householders have been embarking on their own “green” adventure with subsidised solar energy generation, many are tempted by the promise of...

Birkett Long secures Law Society's quality mark

Essex law firm Birkett Long has secured membership to the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) - the mark of excellence for the home buying process. Birkett Long, which has offices in Colchester, Chelmsford and Basildon, underwent an...

When right of way is not enough

Most people would agree that it is usually preferable to own the access to your property but this is not always possible. There are down sides to owning your own access, such as the costs of maintaining and repairing it and preventing trespass, so when...

How many years are left on your lease?

Whether you’re a owner/occupier of a flat or maisonette, or a corporate investor with a portfolio of residential leasehold properties or freehold properties subject to long leases, you should never disregard the importance of regularly reviewing your...

Registration of land

The Land Registry started the registration of property in 1925 and gradually since then an increasing amount of land has been registered. Compulsory registration, initially restricted to sales and long leases, was phased in on a regional basis and in recent...

Residential property - New regulations in force

From 1 July 2011 new regulations transfer ownership of private sewers and lateral drains to the statutory undertakers (e.g. Anglian Water).  This affects all houses connected to a public sewer. Sewers constructed prior to October 1937 were, under the...

Tenancy Deposit Scheme Changes

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) has been in place since 6 April 2007, when it was brought into force by the Housing Act 2004. It was created to protect deposits paid by tenants who have an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) and provide a fairer system to...

New requirement to register if your house is not connected to mains drains

If your house has a septic tank or sewage treatment plant instead of being connected to mains drains, new regulations require you to register the tank or plant (or rather the discharge from it) with the Environment Agency. The Environmental Permitting...

Joint ownership - will it be as safe as houses?

Joint property can be owned in two ways; as tenants in common or as joint tenants. Tenants in common own a share in the property which means that they may deal with that share, for example upon the death of a tenant in common that share remains as part of...

Changes to rent limits under assured tenancies

Currently a tenancy with an annual rent exceeding £25,000 cannot be an assured tenancy and landlords letting properties with rents above this threshold are not therefore bound by the special provisions which apply to assured tenancies, the most common...

Abolition of Home Information Packs

House prices could continue to increase over the summer with the abolition of home information packs (HIPS), it has been suggested. Following the general election in May, the Government announced the elimination of the packs to help reduce the cost of...

Boundary Dispute Resolution

Boundary disputes often erupt from the smallest of disagreements but can become major issues for those concerned. Where disputes arise over almost valueless pieces of land but the parties involved decide that the outcome is a matter of principle,...