Heidi Aitken

There are certain situations when you will need to apply for Planning Permission prior to the construction of the conservatory and / or obtain Building Regulations Approval before work commences and final ‘sign-off’ once it has been completed.

Are you buying a property with a domestic oil storage tank, or maybe you already own a property fitted with one and are thinking about selling? If so, this article provides important information.

Essentially an oil storage tank is a container used to hold oil before it is used, for a domestic property the oil is generally used for heating the property.

It’s important to know and understand the type of tank and the pipework arrangement. Based on the location of tank and its use, it can be classified as a surface, above or underground tank. The materials used will depend on the intended use, the environment, safety, location, and other legal requirements.

As we continue to live longer many people consider downsizing as their family homes no longer fit their needs. For example the family home is too big to maintain, or it does not suit their physical needs. When looking to downsize many now consider buying a retirement property.

The majority of retirement properties are leasehold. Often purchasing a retirement property will be the first time a person has owned a leasehold property and therefore they need to be aware of what this entails

The government has introduced new changes to Stamp Duty Land Tax which has reduced the amount of Stamp Duty payable on property purchases in most cases. These changes came into effect on 23^rd of September 2022 but only apply to England and Northern Ireland as Scotland and Wales have their own tax provisions. Unlike the Stamp Duty holidays in 2020 and 2021, it seems these changes will be in place for the foreseeable future.

We are very fortunate that our office is based in the spa town of Cheltenham, a town filled with beautiful historic buildings. Just counting properties within the borders of Cheltenham Borough Council there are over 2602 listed buildings...

In this unprecedented time, the government has clarified its advice on moving home during the lockdown. The essence of this advice is where possible to delay moving. This applies to both homebuyers and renters. Transactions that have already...