Spring Budget disappoints the property sector with the abolition of Multiple Dwellings Relief on Stamp Duty, hindering investment in build-to-rent housing.

In December 2020, Awaab Ishak sadly passed away just after his second birthday. The coroner stated this young boy, “died as a result of a severe respiratory condition due to prolonged exposure to mould in his…

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill is making its way through the Parliamentary process.  The bill proposes to make long-term changes to home ownership legislation for millions of leaseholders and freeholders in England and Wales….

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill is currently passing through the Parliamentary process before it becomes an Act. It was introduced to Parliament on 27 November 2023. Given the importance of the proposed legislation we’re…

We find there is a huge demand for garages in southwest London, particularly for storage for local companies and/or more increasingly car storage. In particular, if garages have electricity this is now a huge bonus with…

Admiral Insurance estimate that one third of the British population now lives in rental properties. They’ve compiled this list of frequently used terms if you’re renting. It’s aimed at potential landlords, but we thought it…

We’re being instructed on an increasing number of Compulsory Purchase valuations at present, writes Zah Azeem, Partner at Wimbledon based Chartered Surveyors Scrivener Tibbatts. As more and more local councils are redeveloping their estates many…

Has one of your children ever asked you how Santa fits down the chimney? Has this ever made you wonder who would be liable if the chimney stack collapsed and your party wall was damaged…

Exactly as we predicted in December (2021 and 2022), house prices have not fallen off a cliff, writes Clive Scrivener, Partner at Wimbledon based Chartered Surveyors Scrivener Tibbatts. The average price of a UK property…

For example: Home owners often face a bewildering array of options in regard to decisions about the future of their property, writes Zah Azeem, Partner at Wimbledon based Chartered Surveyors Scrivener Tibbatts. • Do we…

If, like me and many in my profession, you were unsurprised by the lack of detail you heard in the King’s Speech, we can only hope that follow up consultations by RICS, the British Property…

Rachel Maclean MP, The Minister of State (Housing and Planning), has confirmed that plans to phase out leasehold will form part of the King’s Speech on 7 November. The proposed law is expected to prevent…

1. What is a residential lease extension? A residential lease extension is a legal process that allows a leaseholder to extend the lease of their property, typically by 90 years for flats and 50 years…

I’m often asked what I do for a living, and what’s it like being a Chartered Surveyor? So here goes, writes Zah Azeem, Partner at Wimbledon based Chartered Surveyors, Scrivener Tibbatts. A career as a…

Last month a leading estate agent told the Scotsman newspaper that many would-be sellers make simple blunders that can knock value off their property. “Sometimes improvements and changes you have made might make the property less attractive to…

By Clive Scrivener MRICS, Founder Partner, Scrivener Tibbatts surveyors, Wimbledon What does the lease entitle the lessee to do, what is the lessee restricted from doing? We moved to new offices just over five years…

As members of the Merton Chamber of Commerce we would like to congratulate the finalists of this year’s Merton Best Business Awards. Last year we were lucky enough to win the ‘Employer of the Year’…

In today’s business landscape, sustainability and responsible practices are no longer mere buzzwords. Customers, investors, and even employees expect businesses to prioritize Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors. Embracing ESG initiatives not only helps the…

Experts for Expats’ recent cost of living survey reported by IFA Investment has revealed that 23% of people living abroad are considering selling their UK property as a result of the ongoing cost of living…

Buy or rent? The news about mortgages is dominating the property pages at present, which in turn is putting pressure on the London lettings market, writes Clive Scrivener, Founder & Partner at Wimbledon based Chartered…

According to Prime Central London specialist, estate agent Chestertons, London’s property market had another stable month in April – with more sellers coming onto the market and buyer interest still high, writes Zah Azeem, Partner…

Although the residential property market has stood firm so far this year, some data from Searchland, a land development research firm indicates that just at the very moment we need to encourage more homes to…

Did you know that its only relatively recently that British monarchs have kept their personal name to be their ‘regnal’ name, writes Zah Azeem, Partner at Wimbledon based Chartered Surveyors Scrivener Tibbatts. The last time…

Legal experts are set to share “weird and wonderful property stories’ in a ‘four Yorkshiremen’ Monty Python-inspired panel discussion at the Propertymark One Conference at Wembley on June 27, 2023, according to Property Industry Eye….

(Photo: Call me Fred, Unsplash) Battersea Power Station stood heartbreakingly derelict for years and years so its renaissance as a residential and commercial redevelopment is likely to win it numerous accolades, the most recent being…

After a busy 2022, during which house prices hit record levels over the summer the effect of inflation, still stubbornly high continue to dominate commentary of the state of the property market. But as we…

As Wimbledon has been the location for our office for over a decade it’s been interesting to see new restaurants come and go. And whilst we might have a reputation for being property geeks, chartered…

The Holme in Regent’s Park has been put on the market for £250 million, which would make it the most expensive property ever sold in the UK. Valuing the 40-bedroom mansion set in four acres…

Exactly as we predicted in December, house prices have not fallen off a cliff, writes Clive Scrivener, Partner at Wimbledon based Chartered Surveyors Scrivener Tibbatts. According to Rightmove prices were steady on the month at…

It beggars belief that a role so intrinsic to the challenges faced by the government changes hands so often. Rachel Maclean MP was confirmed as Housing Minister by Rishi Sunak in his ministerial reshuffle this…

Reported by Housing Today the government has agreed to extend the practical completion deadline for homes reserved under the Help to Buy scheme just days before the deadline was due to be passed. The decision…

A recent advert in the Royal Institute of Architects magazine RIBA Journal reminded me that occasionally building works and development on a boundary between properties in different ownership create an open invitation to numerous and…

The number of residential property transactions in November was 12% higher than that of the same month last year, according to the latest figures from HMRC. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, there were 114,200 transactions…

Have you heard about The Line? It passed us by too when it was first announced by  Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in January 2021, but as chartered surveyors we’re naturally…

We’ve enjoyed writing about Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) over the last three or so years. The announcement by Kwasi Kwarteng to cut SDLT was highly welcomed by the property sector, as he aimed to…

We’ve mentioned frequently in this section that the so called ‘experts’ trying to call the residential property market rarely have a clue, writes Zah Azeem, Partner at Wimbledon based Chartered Surveyors Scrivener Tibbatts. It’s little…

Occasionally building works and development on a boundary between properties in different ownership create an open invitation to numerous and much-reported arguments and disputes.   Party walls are shared walls separating buildings such as semi-detached and…

According to the latest HM Land Registry data property prices increased by an average of 0.9% in August to reach £295,903, writes Zah Azeem, Partner at Wimbledon based Chartered Surveyors Scrivener Tibbatts. Despite UK house…

Leasehold enfranchisement includes the processes of lease extension, freehold acquisition and the correction of management problems within leasehold properties. ALEP (the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners) exists to ensure that specialists involved in this sector…

We’re delighted to say that Scrivener Tibbatts was a runner up in this year’s 2022 Merton Best Business Awards, Employer of the Year category. For such a young company it’s great that we’ve being able…

New research from the British Property Federation shows the total number of Build-to-Rent (BTR) homes in the UK has increased 13% on an annual basis between Q2 2021 and Q2 2022, writes Dominik Neyerlin, a…

How have you managed the post-lockdown transition and fully returned to office working yet? As chartered surveyors our inspections have to take place outside of course, but I’m pleased to say we at least appear…

We’re delighted to say that Scrivener Tibbatts has been successful in reaching the finals of the 2022 Merton Best Business Awards in the Employer of the Year and Best Enterprising Business categories. A full list of…

Residential property prices continued to shrug off fears of an economic downturn and the cost-of-living crisis, posting the highest monthly increase since early 2007 in June, according to the Halifax Building Society, writes Zah Azeem,…

Last month this article in the Evening Standard caught our attention, as a good example of what happens if you don’t take qualified professional advice, writes Dominik Neyerlin, a Chartered Surveyor at Wimbledon based Scrivener…

We’re all delighted that Clive Scrivener, Founder Partner of Scrivener Tibbatts, was recognised by his peers in our sector as one of the best property valuers and a specialist in lease extension matters. Clive Scrivener…

We are delighted to announce Scrivener Tibbatts has been shortlisted in two categories in the prestigious News on the Block – The Enfranchisement and Right to Manage Awards 2022, the real estate industry’s leading awards!…

The residential property market is showing further signs of slowing, as households face a squeeze on their finances, according to this article, writes Zah Azeem, Partner at Wimbledon based Chartered Surveyors Scrivener Tibbatts. Halifax reported…

The lack of properties available to rent continues to limit lettings activity, and drive rents higher in areas of prime London, according to property data firm LonRes, writes Clive Scrivener, Founding Partner of Wimbledon based…

Wherever you work in London, from June, travel around the capital will never be quite the same again, writes Clive Scrivener, Founder Partner of Wimbledon based solicitors, Scrivener Tibbatts. Subject to final safety approvals, it…

The residential property market has boomed significantly over the last two years, with property prices rising by more than 10% in the last 12 months alone. As such, many first-time buyers continue to be priced…

For the poor leaseholders trapped in apartment blocks with cladding that needs to be replaced selling their property is nigh on impossible. Ever since it became apparent following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 that…

The Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) has welcomed confirmation that the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 will come into force on 30 June 2022, but has warned that it gives little time for…

Back in January I wrote this article asking Would you feel safe in a 51 storey building with only one staircase?, writes Zah Azeem, Partner at Wimbledon based Chartered Surveyors, Scrivener Tibbatts.    Well, we…

Apparently Roman Abramovich’s attempts to offload his London properties have been thwarted by the UK government’s imposition of sanctions on those deemed to support Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.  According to Property Industry Eye Abramovich’s 15-bedroom mansion…

Photo by Zach Key on Unsplash Have you ever wondered why the swankiest office receptions display expensive artwork? Have you ever wondered how much of your fees might have gone towards supporting the fine art on display in…

The number of property transactions in Britain fell by 12.6% in January compared with the same month last year, official figures released yesterday show. There were 85,520 residential property transactions last month, down from 97,810…

Were you surprised, as we were, to read that the usually sure footed former presenter of Location, Location, Location, Kirstie Allsopp say “that many young people could afford to buy a home if they made more…

An application for a residential 51 storey tower close to London’s Canary Wharf has been delayed due to fire safety concerns from the London Fire Brigade. The skyscraper’s plans, which include 428 apartments, were withdrawn…

MPs have backed plans to set ground rent for new builds in England and Wales at ‘one peppercorn’ a year for leaseholders.  The Leasehold Reform Bill has been supported by MPs and passed its first…

For the residential property market, 2021 has been a tale of highs and lows. Here estate agents Knight Frank present 12 numbers that tell the story of a year unlike any other and take a look at…

It was reported earlier this week that an estate agent in North Somerset is considering charging divorcing couples a fee for a property valuation following a Covid-19 induced surge in divorces, writes Zah Azeem, Partner…

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) and 17 of its largest members have developed a new mortgage indemnity scheme called Deposit Unlock, writes Clive Scrivener, Founder Partner of Wimbledon based chartered surveyors Scrivener Tibbatts.  Upon completion…

As you walk around Wimbledon have you ever wondered how it is that any house can be semi-derelict, given the cost of accommodation here these days. What were the owners thinking? Surely keeping up a…

Anyone whose been involved in upgrading their home, or even seeing new ones being built, must be aware that it’s a messy and energy intensive process. So other than planting trees to offset all that…

I am delighted we have been shortlisted for this year’s News on the Block Awards 2021, writes Clive Scrivener, Founder Partner of Wimbledon based chartered surveyors Scrivener Tibbatts. It is the third time we’ve been nominated….

We’re being instructed on an increasing number of Compulsory Purchase valuations at present, writes Zah Azeem, Partner at Wimbledon based Chartered Surveyors Scrivener Tibbatts.   As more and more local councils are redeveloping their estates…

‘Momentum behind leasehold reform continues to grow’ at least that’s what a director of the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners is hoping.  Mark Chick was commenting on Countryside Properties decision this week this week to…

The UK’s climbing house prices have always been a significant barrier for first-time buyers looking to get on the property ladder, with recent figures suggesting that half of Millennials will likely rent well into their…

Residential property transactions in the UK fell by nearly 63% in July on a monthly basis, according to figures from H M Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The provisional seasonally adjusted figure stands at 73,740 transactions,…

According to Coutts more homes worth £1 million+ sold in London from April to June than in any other three-month period since their records began in 2013, writes Clive Scrivener, Founding Partner at Scrivener Tibbatts the Wimbledon based…

August is often known as the ‘silly season’ in the media because with so many journalists on holiday newsdesks are very short on good articles and quirky stories can often get covered. Or occasionally very…

The Conveyancing Association, the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry, has urged the Government to move ‘further and faster’ in terms of delivering the leasehold reform it has previously promised.  Zah Azeem, Partner at…

According to the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) by the time the forthcoming Building Safety Bill is given Royal Assent, the number of statutory provisions applying to the sector in England will have risen by…

Now that we’ve reached the end of the Stamp Duty holiday purchasers who haven’t completed their transactions by the end of September might have to pay an extra £15,000 of Stamp Duty to secure their…

We have recently received several instructions from clients who purchased a Help to Buy property, writes Clive Scrivener, Founding Partner at Scrivener Tibbatts the Wimbledon based chartered surveyors.  Help to Buy which was first introduced in…

Rightmove Landlord and Tenant Services has unveiled plans for its new ‘Rent in Five’ plan. It’s new lettings service direct to landlords will do much to take away significant market share away for lettings agents,…

Earlier this year Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government set out a five-point plan to bring an end to unsafe cladding, provide reassurance to homeowners and support confidence in…

I was really disappointed, writes Zah Azeem, a Partner at Chartered Surveyors Scrivener Tibbatts, to read that Sean Tompkins, the CEO of my chartered body, RICS, is to receive bonuses of more than £260,000, in…

The Conveyancing Association the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry, has come out in favour of the inclusion of a new Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill that was  announced in the Queen’s Speech to Parliament. …

Admiral Insurance estimate that one third of the British population now lives in rental properties. They’ve compiled this list of frequently used terms if you’re renting. It’s aimed at potential landlords, but we thought it…

Lockdown restrictions are easing at last and it’s great to see those retail units closed for months reopening, almost like flowers in spring.   But all is not really rosy in Wimbledon Village. Just a ten-minute…

Broadcast and buy to let property investor Phil Spencer writes in Estate Agent Today about the future of the estate agents office on the High Street.  Now that the government has this week allowed non-essential retail shops to…

Qualification to become a Chartered Surveyor and a Member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is a badge of professionalism that I and my colleagues at Scrivener Tibbatts are very proud of and…

UK residential property sales equalled 2018’s all-time high, reaching £6.1bn last year, according to new data released by Colliers, in this report.  Investment in residential property exceeded £6bn in 2020  Their research indicates that total residential…

The Government confirmed an extension to the current stamp duty (SDLT) holiday, which was due to expire on 31st March. The changes mean that anyone that buys a main home before 30th June 2021 will…

On Thursday I’ll be attending the Spring conference of the Association of Leasehold and Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) as one of the panellists, writes Clive Scrivener.  As ever ALEP seeks to provide its members with relevant,…

Interesting thoughts voiced here in Property Investor News, (one of our regular reads):  “Rumour has it that the Spring Budget will see a rise in taxes across the board to fund the government’s Covid-19 support, with…

Restrictive covenants are binding conditions that are written into a property’s deeds or contract by a seller to determine what a homeowner can or cannot do with their house or land under particular circumstances.  Newly built…

We love to follow fashion and all the latest trends. So, the launch of a new Property Trends Report, providing cross-market trend analysis for the residential property market pipeline across the Residential estate agency, conveyancing…

Responsible tenants in England with well-behaved pets will be able to secure leases more easily through a new standard tenancy agreement the government has recently announced.   Under the new Model Tenancy Agreement, announced by Housing Minister…

In the words on the brilliant headline writers at The Sun: “Goodbye Grumpy… hello Sleepy. The world sighed with relief as ‘Sleepy’ Joe Biden replaced Donald Trump in the White House,” earlier this week.  ‘Sleepy’ might…

Occasionally building works and development on a boundary between properties in different ownership create an open invitation to numerous and much-reported arguments and disputes.   Party walls are shared walls separating buildings such as semi-detached and…

This article in Property Reporter caught our eye at the start of last month: Why you shouldn’t let the pandemic stop you moving home.  Zah Azeem, Partner at Scrivener Tibbatts says: “The rules are constantly changing, so it’s…

As if life wasn’t hard enough for private landlords facing the immediate impossibility of not being able to evict non-paying tenants the Home Office has now launched a new process requiring landlords to check their tenant’s right…

An interesting bylined article in Property Investor Today has started a discussion here at Scrivener Tibbatts about what the property trends will be in 2021.  In early December, research has indicated we might expect a surge in Build…

A package to build more homes, announced by the chancellor Rishi Sunak, has been welcomed by the housebuilding industry.  The  Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is receiving almost £10bn of funding in the next…

Home buyers in Wimbledon paid tens of millions of pounds in Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) last year, as the property industry calls for an extension of the current holiday on the tax.  From 8…

We don’t talk about housing associations much, but here in Wimbledon the twenty that we have provide a much needed extension to housing provision so many residents need. Especially for those looking to get onto…

During this second lockdown whilst we’re mostly all working from home Scrivener Tibbatts is still hard at work for you. This lockdown is different from the first one in that the government has confirmed that the…

Savills has predicted that the UK housing market will remain buoyant with prices set to rise by an average of 20.4% by 2024, despite the current Covid-19 pandemic, which has heightened uncertainty over the economy,…

Every once in a while a client or professional advisor asks us what’s the RICS Red Book, that your chartered surveyors all swear by? This really good blog post by one of our most trusted…

In the Bank of England’s latest quarterly Credit Conditions Survey, it is reported that whilst building societies and banks reported that loans to households – including mortgages – increased over the last quarter, it may…

The chairwoman of an influential House of Commons Select Committee has demanded the Ministry of Housing end the “misery and uncertainty” facing thousands of leaseholders in unsafe apartment buildings.  Reported here: Meg Hillier MP, who…

As chartered surveyors we view the outside – and insides – of hundreds of properties every year.   Everyone’s obsessed with property. Which is why this article particularly caught our attention in Property Investor Today, this week.  The online property…

It might be 20 years’ overdue but at last the CMA is launching enforcement action involving 4 leading housing developers it believes may have broken consumer protection law in relation to leasehold homes.  As part of…

It’s crept up on me quietly, but June marked the fifth anniversary of my being made Senior Partner at Scrivener Tibbatts, writes Clive Scrivener, at the Wimbledon based firm of chartered surveyors.  None of us…

Property buyers wishing to relocate from Hong Kong have triggered a surge in interest in the London market according to new data from property media giant Juwai IQI. It shows that while demand for UK…

As part of government’s drive to modernise vital information for home buyers is now available to view online for the first time. The datasets, available through HM Land Registry’s new Use land and property data service,…

Estate Agent Today is reporting that the government is thinking of extending the controversial Help to Buy scheme beyond its end of 2020 deadline.   The reasons on the surface may seem quite logical. The Covid-19 lockdown…

We’ve been wondering what impact the new laws to extend homes upwards will have on Wimbledon’s leafy streets. At the start of the week planning laws were changed aimed at adding more residential space and…

Last week we queried whether the Stamp duty holiday would inspire you to buy a house? One week later it seems that it has. Following the Chancellor’s announcement of a Stamp Duty holiday on the first…

Investors buying homes worth up to £500,000 won’t have to pay Stamp Duty on these purchases until the end of March 2021, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced this week in a mini Budget statement. As ever, Property…

According to this article in Property Investor News analysis conducted by Knight Frank, COVID-19 and the subsequent government lockdown will result in a loss of 526,000 home sales in 2020. This fall in transaction volumes represents a…

Homebuyers sometimes overpay Stamp Duty because their conveyancers either don’t have the information they need to decide that a Stamp Duty tax relief applies, or they wrongly decide that a relief cannot be claimed.  Conveyancers,…

We can but dream. The world’s most famous tennis Championships were due to start on Monday 29 June this year, but even though the lockdown is easing the Championships are still cancelled. A shame really,…

We’re delighted that our colleague and one of the founders of this firm, Mike Tibbatts, has been appointed to the Board of the Expert Witness Institute for a two year term. He qualified as a…

Beauchamp Estates has successfully sold a £15.45 million mansion at 26 Old Queen Street on behalf of the seller, the Canadian-based Benisti Family Office. The buyer was an ultra-high-net-worth Russian billionaire in his 40s, with…

One in nine borrowers will welcome the Treasury’s announcement to extend the current mortgage holiday scheme, beyond the end of June, as initially intended. The government’s initial launch of mortgage holidays brought welcome relief for…

The government has relaxed lockdown rules to allow the UK house market to restart. Under the new regulations, people will be able to visit estate agents, view properties, and move property. The UK’s housing market…

“The coronavirus crisis has led to a rising interest in selling at auction, with this industry more prepared and better-equipped than most to operate remotely,” explains Zah Azeem, Partner at Scrivener Tibbatts. Some were doing online…

In spite of the difficulties many local businesses are experiencing living a normal life Scrivener Tibbatts had an extremely successful first quarter.  “Fortunately we are finding that we can trade through this downturn as the…

Estate Agent Today reports that the Nationwide says government measures mean the impact of Coronavirus on the housing market may be much less damaging than many may expect. However, the building society is warning that house price…

Subscribing to BisNow is an excellent way of keeping in touch with property news. Their daily digest of the twelve most read articles is an interesting barometer of what’s hot and what’s not. “This article below which…

As policy on how best to manage coronavirus is evolving daily this suggestion reported here caught our eye. Richard Murphy, a chartered accountant and campaigner who runs Tax Research UK, wants to see significantly more support offered…

A membership organisation for landowners, rural businesses and rural professionals has said Scottish schoolchildren should be taught how their actions now can impact on climate change and the kind of homes they will live in…

“It’s not often the Companies and Markets Authority turns the spotlight on the residential property sector, but their press release today is definitely worth a read for anyone who feels trapped in a leasehold contract,”…

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the regulatory body for surveyors, ie us, has called for the government to focus on housing in this year’s Budget, which will be on March 11. RICS’ Budget…

There have now been ten ministers for Housing in the past ten years. The new housing minister is Christopher Pincher and yes, you may ask, ‘Who?’ For the past decade he’s been the Conservative’s MP…

The papers are full of stories that the residential property market is recovering again. GetAgent.co.uk has looked at which postcodes across the nation are the most valuable when it comes to average price paid by UK homebuyers…

We were intrigued by this report from Harrods Estates reported in Property Investor Today that interest from Chinese buyers in London properties has risen from 2.5% in 2016 to 20% in 2019. 2020 is the Year of the Rat…

It’s one of the big issues that separate Generation X and Millennials and their Baby Boomer parents. During the 1980s and 1990s, mass homeownership combined with high inflation and high interest created the concept of…

The average age of a first-time buyer in the UK has risen to 30, meaning that most people will be saving for a home throughout their twenties. However, young people are the least confident that…

Unhappy with Brexit? Is European property an option? In case you were one of those who wanted a different outcome to last week’s General Election, we thought this article in Property Investor might catch your eye. Many…

Has Help to Buy helped the Wimbledon housing market? Zoopla has calculated the areas of London where Help to Buy (H2B) has had the most dramatic effect on the housing market. Tower Hamlets was the…

The UK housing market is showing signs of recovery following a prolonged period of uncertainty, according to JLL the property consultancy.  Landlord Today reports that the property consultancy forecasts that the residential property market will remain…

An eye-watering £10.7 billion’s worth of homes are sitting empty in London, according to new research by HomeProtect on unoccupied homes. The overall number of long-term unoccupied properties in the capital grew between 2013 and 2018 to…

Since the start of 2017, around 870,000 planning permission applications have been submitted across the UK as homeowners opt to expand their homes and towns and cities seek to develop amenities to cope with ever-changing…

Estate Agent Today has reported that the information house sellers may have to provide in future  about the be transformed, if government property buying reforms are implemented. They are nothing less than a revolution in how property…

Government proposals to reform the way landlords can repossess properties will not work and threatens the supply of homes for rent says the largest landlord organisation. In its response to the Government’s consultation on ending…

Here’s another brilliant article from the always helpful Property Reporter website. “As regular readers of Keeping Current will recall we’re keen observers of The Bank of Mum and Dad. An estimated 60% of first-time buyers receive some…

So after 178 years of trading Thomas Cook has collapsed into insolvency. With debts of £1.7bn the insolvency of the business leaves 20,000 staff without a job and tens of thousands of customers unsure how…

Earlier this month estate agency Countrywide announced that it would introduce a new property report called the HomeFact report after a study involving 15,000 buyers apparently identified gaps in their knowledge which led to failures…

Thousands of graduates across the UK will move to London this month in the hope of embarking on a successful career, despite the extortionate rents and living costs associated with living in the capital. Research quoted…

The vast majority of intermediaries (91%) remain positive about the outlook for the mortgage industry despite ongoing political uncertainty, according to The Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA). Published here the representative trade body for mortgage lenders found…

An article this week in Housing Today set us off thinking whether our fellow residents in Wimbledon have any understanding about all the planning decisions that are taken in their name? The article reported that nearby…

According to Property Investor Today London is now one Europe’s hot spots for investment in building properties to rent. Quoting research from property consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle investment in Build to Rent – also known as multifamily…

A report published by the Institute of Economic Affairs on how to tackle the housing crisis has been previewed by the Sunday Telegraph. The report co-written by Conservative MP and arch Eurosceptic Jacob Rees-Mogg has called…

Estate Agent Today reports that the proposals outlined by the Regulation of Property Agents working party, set up last year by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government are likely to form the basis…

Knight Frank earlier this week launched a suite of products designed for older homeowners, including equity release and retirement interest-only mortgages. However, as reported by Estate Agency Today agents have been muted in their response to Knight…

This year, parents or grandparents, family or friends are set to lend thousands more to fund nearly one in five house purchases. The Bank of Mum and Dad (BoMaD) is currently spending an average of…

Well, according to an article we spotted in Estate Agent Today last week, if you live in an address with the word ‘Court’ or ‘Terrace’ in the name you might be lucking out when it comes to…

Housing worth £123bn is lying empty in some of the UK’s most desirable areas, according to new research, reported in The Daily Telegraph. The findings, from University College London, were accompanied by calls for a…

Last month a leading estate agent told the Scotsman newspaper that many would-be sellers make simple blunders that can knock value off their property. “Sometimes improvements and changes you have made might make the property…

    In a move aimed at solving the homelessness crisis, the Government announced earlier this month that foreign house buyers will have to pay a higher rate of stamp duty on purchases in England…

Opinion: When is the best time to extend the lease on my flat? This month commemorates the 10th anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers investment bank and the start of the worst crisis in…

Young Professional of the Year 2018 – Clive Scrivener, Partner These prestigious awards are independently judged and showcase significant achievement within the leasehold sector. We are delighted that Clive has been recognised as being one…

These can involve a specialised area of valuation. We are pleased to report a decision made by the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber), which may be found at [2015] UKUT 0448 (LC).

At Scrivener Tibbatts we are looking forward to the introduction of the new revised ‘Red Book’ [RICS Valuation – Global Standards 2017].  We have new guidance on ‘Conflicts of Interest’ in advising Clients, which is…

The Party Wall etc Act 1996 gives owners the rights to extend their properties and this includes basements, loft extensions and ground floor extensions.

It is widely accepted that the current business rates appeal system has been in need of reform for some time.

The new stamp duty rates for buy to let investors and the cancellation of mortgage relief on buy to let mortgages could put the property market in SW London back into winter?  

We are currently seeking  a fourth surveyor to meet the growing demand for our services.  As a practice we are dynamic and forward thinking and there is abundant opportunity for a Party Wall Surveyor to…

Now that the General Election is a distant memory and the Queen’s speech is almost forgotten perhaps the Chancellor of the Exchequer will reveal in his forthcoming Budget: 1. How enfranchised Housing Association properties are…

Scrivener Tibbatts – Chartered Surveyors are very pleased to announce that Zah Azeem will be joining us as a valuation surveyor on Monday 8 June 2015.

We are seeking a graduate/trainee surveyor.   As an aside, we are changing our name to Scrivener Tibbatts Chartered Surveyors on 01 June 2015.

Forget the party political manifestos. Wimbledon will always be a winner. We have three outstanding characteristics: location; location; location.

We are delighted to announce that Clive Scrivener was elected to membership of RICS on 11 November 2014.

Michael Tibbatts MRICS answers 10 questions you might be afraid to ask…

What is a lease, what does the lease entitle you to do, what are you restricted from doing?

In my experience, there are freeholders and claimants alike who can and do adopt outrageous positions in claims and counter claims following formal claims made in accordance with the ’93 Act.

Andy Garwood’s excellent short article in the Estate’s Gazette (5 October 2013) misses, with respect, one vital element – the Party Wall Etc…..Act 1996.

As I advised in my last bulletin, I’ve been awaiting a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decision in a case where I represented the Freeholders and the issues to be decided were: Deferment Relativity The extent of…

We are moving to new offices this week because all the indications are that the demand for our services is increasing to a level which cannot be met from our existing offices. At the same…

The four day diamond jubilee holiday weekend gave us time to “catch up” while watching the extensive coverage on television. It is appalling to note that our last update was on 13 February 2012; we…

“Doing nothing is not an option if you want to protect your home”. This excellent article by John Greenwood appeared in the Daily Telegraph on 5th February.  We agree completely with its advice that homeowners…

Party walls are in the news – again, and it is important that they remain prominent in the public eye as 

Flat owners who have absent freeholders might rejoice that they do not have to pay service charges or ground rent because there is no one to invoice these charges.

Flat owners, who own flats controlled by large, publicly quoted companies, may find that to obtain their right to demand an extension to their lease of 90 years and have all ground rents reduced to…

Held on 27 June 2011 in London Revisions to the RICS Redbook, which details valuation standards to be adopted by all RICS registered valuers, were reviewed in detail.

Held on 13 June 2011 in Cambridge. Recent updates to Building Regulations and the latest advances for controlling and managing dampness affecting buildings were discussed in detail.

At a recent workshop on party walls run by the Surrey branch of the Pyramus &Thisbe Club, some key issues were clarified for surveyors. We began by acknowledging two principles that are fundamental to our…

This well attended conference was given an overview of landmark case Jones v Kaney by Mr Patrick Lawrence QC.  For the past 400 years expert witnesses have enjoyed immunity from suit for breach of duty,…

What effect does a business tenancy have on the definition of a house in regard to claims for enfranchisement under the ’67 Act?  Senior partner Damien Greenish led discussion on this subject at a workshop…

An enlightening review of enfranchisement cases came from Mr Antony Radevesky of Falcon Chambers at the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners conference. The case of Hillmy vs HembridgeVillas[2010 1WLR2750] emphasises the importance of correct signatures…

A seminar held by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors confirmed that job loss in the public sector over the coming 12-24 months is likely to have a negative effect on the UK housing market,…

In an illuminating talk on the correct form of a letter of appointment for an adjoining owner’s surveyor, Mr Mathew Hearsom of Morrisons LLP advised that there is no assumed right at law that an…

Material enhancement, deferment rates, and the definition of a house, were among the subjects discussed at the autumn meeting of the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners.  The basic rule applying to material enhancement in respect…