How does a Help to Buy scheme work for me?
This government-sponsored scheme aims to assist homebuyers with three ways of purchasing a property:
- Help to Buy ISA - if you are a first-time buyer and don’t own any other property (anywhere in the world), and you don’t have another cash ISA opened in the same tax year, when you buy your first home, the solicitor will apply for the government bonus on your behalf when closure of your Home to Buy ISA used to buy the property is confirmed.
- Help to Buy: Equity Loan - if you have no other property and are buying a newly-built home, the government will provide 20% of the cost of the house (up to a maximum of £600,000), leaving you with the saved 5% deposit and a 75% mortgage to cover the remainder. This is open to current homeowners and first-time buyers, and the home cannot be sublet nor can it be used in a part-exchange deal.
- Help to Buy: Shared Ownership - if your household earns less than £80,000, you could be eligible for this scheme, which allows you to buy between 25% and 75% of the home’s value, while the government pays the remainder on which you would then pay rent.
(information retrieved from HM Government’s Help to Buy website on 16 April 2019).
Contact the Money Advice Service, the government’s Help to Buy website, or your local ‘Help to Buy’ agent for more information.
Is contaminated land a problem in Denbighshire?
Land in Denbighshire would be contaminated by a range of human activities. Contaminants like hazardous substances in the ground will be considered as part of the environmental searches.
Is a residential property in Denbigh Central eligible for disadvantaged area stamp duty relief?
Stamp duty relief for disadvantaged areas will cease in April 2013, and affected zones currently include Rhyl West, Rhyl South West, Meliden, Denbigh Upper/Henllan, Rhyl East, Bodelwyddan, Denbigh Central and Prestatyn North. Update: As of the 2013/14 tax year, stamp duty relief for disadvantaged areas is no longer available.
What’s the difference between residential and commercial conveyancing?
In essence, there is very little difference between the tasks needed for residential conveyancing against commercial conveyancing. The real difference comes in the type of property and the purpose for which it is intended to be used.
The majority of residential transactions are freehold, whereas commercial transactions are almost exclusively leasehold, and commercial property conveyancing searches will tend to be more expensive because the structure and land will occupy a greater space on average than that for residential property.
Who do I give the appliance warranties to if they are being left at the property I’m selling?
If you are leaving what is generally termed ‘white goods’ at the property you are selling, which are still in warranty, the documentation should be given to your solicitor so that any warranties can be given to the buyer’s solicitor as part of the contract.
Note that, should you be leaving any electrical (or other) items at the property, this should be made clear on the Fixtures and Fittings Form (TA10) and agreed as early as possible between you and the buyers, particularly if you want financial recompense in so doing.
Can I agree a sale price without involving an estate agent or solicitor?
This depends on whether you have signed up with an estate agent and what agreement is already in place. While it might seem unfair if you’ve found a buyer outside of the estate agency process and you’re expected to still pay the agent their fees on sale, you should be very careful about stepping outside the agreed terms and conditions since this is legally binding and you may face penalties as a result. Therefore, if you want to follow this course, it’s worth checking the details with a solicitor to ensure you’re following the letter of the law.
If you’re not with an agent, you can publicise your house details with a number of publications and online sites (some are free, others require a fee), but you’ll need to do all the legwork and administration. For a legal standpoint, you don’t need to appoint a solicitor to perform the conveyancing, but it would be an unwise option to pursue as you will probably have neither the training or experience in some its complexities, and you won’t have the protective indemnity insurance in the event of a problem arising with your work.