Category: Buying a house
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Court rules fixer-uppers must pay full Stamp Duty
Buying a house to renovate or taking on a fixer-upper? Don’t fall for tax refund promises that could cost you thousands. A major court ruling has confirmed that even homes in poor condition still attract full residential Stamp Duty. HMRC is now targeting dishonest agents offering bogus refunds based on false claims that a property…
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£1.66bn in EPC fines could be handed out if market fails to improve by 2030
If new government energy rules were enforced today, over £1.6 billion in fines could be handed out to homeowners whose properties don’t meet the proposed minimum efficiency standard. New figures reveal that 39% of homes sold in England over the past year fall short of the EPC rating the government wants in place by 2030,…
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Freedom to Buy: Can 95% mortgages help low-deposit buyers?
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed the launch of Freedom to Buy, a permanent mortgage guarantee scheme aimed at helping people buy homes with 5% deposits. “We must restore the dream of homeownership for working people,” Reeves said ahead of her Mansion House speech, framing the policy as part of Labour’s broader plan to improve financial…
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What it’s like to buy a plot without planning permission
When we first decided to self-build, I genuinely thought finding a plot would be easy. You know, clicking through listings online and wandering through villages, picking out “the one,” and feeling the magic of it all coming together. Well, I can now say with absolute certainty: it’s not like that. Not even close. Our search…
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How UK mortgages differ from those in Europe and beyond
The aspiration of homeownership in the United Kingdom continues to be a challenging one for many, with a stark comparison to mortgage markets in other major economies revealing significant disadvantages for UK homebuyers. While recent Bank of England interest rate cuts offer some respite, experts contend that fundamental differences in lending practices, affordability criteria, and…
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Government raked in £1.4bn in stamp duty before the March 30th deadline, as calls to remove the tax grow
UK homebuyers shelled out an extraordinary £1.4 billion in stamp duty in March 2025 as they scrambled to beat major tax threshold cuts, according to new HMRC figures. This surge marked a 34% jump from February and a 63% increase compared to March 2024, highlighting how thousands rushed transactions to avoid steep hikes set for…
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Thousands of homes hit market as sellers cut prices post stamp duty change
If you’re planning a renovation, eyeing your next self-build plot, or just waiting for the right time to buy, a wave of new homes has just hit the market, and many come with reduced price tags. New research from estate agency Yopa suggests that over 53,000 properties have been listed for sale in England in…
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You can buy this abandoned 15-bedroom Highland lodge for less than a flat in London
In a remote corner of the Scottish Highlands, a forgotten estate is up for grabs for a starting price of just £255,000, less than many one-bedroom flats in London. Surrounded by mountains and thick woodland, Achnashellach Lodge hasn’t been lived in for years and presents a challenge for those looking at renovating a house and…
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If you buy a plot with planning permission, can you build something else?
If you are buying a plot with planning permission, you may be able to build something else – but it isn’t always easy to do. It’s important to know that different types of planning permission apply to building plots too, making it either easier or harder to make changes to the original consent. And, when…
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Buying a house with asbestos? What you need to know
Discovering asbestos is not necessarily a reason to avoid buying a house. And discovering it in a property may mean you are able to agree a discount. “The presence of asbestos offers the opportunity to negotiate on price,” says Paula Higgins, founder and chief executive of HomeOwners Alliance. “This is especially the case if you…