April is a great month to have your Will written by Southport Solicitors, Breens. In return for a donation to Queenscourt Hospice, Breens will write your Will so you can protect your family and loved ones while helping to raise funds for your local hospice. Why make a Will? If you die without having […]
New Rules on Tenant Deposits
Under the new Tenant Fees Act, damage deposits taken at the start of a tenancy will be capped. There are also new rules around holding deposits. Landlords and letting agents need to take heed of the changes, or it could prove costly. What do the new laws say? The Tenant Fees Bill is set to […]
Tenant Fees Will Soon Be Banned
The new Tenant Fees Bill is set to be introduced this summer. Here’s a brief run-down of what’s changing, when, and what breaching the news laws could mean for landlords and letting agents. What’s changing? Until now, landlords and letting agents have been able to charge tenants additional fees for things such as references, credit […]
Pets in Rental Properties
As a landlord, should you allow a pet in your rental property? Many landlords are against the idea, but research shows there may be more benefits than you realise. Here we take a look at the pros and cons of allowing a pet in your rental property. Pets in rental properties – the argument against […]
Proposals to protect new-build buyers
Advisory body the Home Owners Alliance has recommended that buyers of new-build homes should be able to retain 2.5% of the purchase price for the first six months to cover the cost of snagging defects. The body’s chief executive said that the proposal “would create a powerful incentive for builders to put problems right”. Such […]
No stamp duty surcharge for derelict second homes
A tax tribunal has ruled that buyers Paul and Nikki Bewley do not need to pay the 3% second home surcharge on the purchase of a derelict property that took place in 2017. Since April 2016 if a buyer already owns a property and purchases another, the stamp duty rates on the second purchase are […]
No Will? Cohabitees won’t inherit a penny
The number of families in the UK continues to grow, with cohabiting couple families growing the fastest according to the ONS. In 2017, of the 19 million UK families recorded, 3.3 million were cohabiting. It is perhaps therefore surprising that intestacy rules still fail to provide for cohabitees, regardless of the length of cohabitation. If […]
Buying out co-inheritees: stamp duty and capital gains tax
It is not uncommon for a parent to leave their home in their Will to a number of their children – and sometimes one child will want to buy out the others rather than putting the property on the market. In such circumstances, stamp duty is likely to be payable, calculated on the value of […]
Welsh assembly raise care savings limit to £50,000
From the 8th April 2019, people living in Wales will have to pay the full cost of their own residential care only if they have assets of more than £50,000. Welsh ministers increased the capital limit by £10,000 only 12 months after it rose from £30,000 to £40,000. The capital limit determines whether a person […]
Act now to avoid probate fee hikes in April
Most families who have recently lost a loved one should not delay in applying for probate if they want to avoid a substantial hike in probate fees. From April 2019, many estates will pay significantly more when applying for a grant, with increases of up £5,785 on the cards. However, whilst estates worth £50,000 or […]
First time buyers Southport: demystifying the buying process
If you’re buying a property in Southport for the first time, you’ll soon realise that much of what you read in your search for the perfect pad is riddled with confusing terms such as ‘LISA’, ‘Help to Buy’, ‘Equity Loans’ and ‘Variable Rates’. This can make it more difficult to navigate the market and get […]
The sandwich generation: staying financially and legally healthy
Millions of people in the UK look after both younger and older family members, sandwiched between aging parents who need care and their own children. The extra demands made of these adults in their 30s and 40s, dubbed the ‘sandwich generation’, can leave their futures financially uncertain. We look at some ways those with double […]
Surge in both Lasting Powers of Attorney and family feuds
According to OPG figures published in the Times, the number of people applying for Lasting Powers of Attorney in the year to April was 759,976 – a significant jump from the 52,492 applications made 10 years ago. The climbing numbers is thought to be a result of a population that is living longer and therefore […]
Brexit News overshadows key property reforms
With the papers focusing on Brexit, it’s easy to see how big changes to housing policy could slip under the radar. Unsurprisingly two key reforms have gone largely unnoticed as our impending exit from the EU continues to dominate the press. The first change announced by Communities Secretary James Brokenshire is the introduction of a […]
Care home managers to be involved in liberty decisions of vulnerable patients
A controversial proposed amendment to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 could see Care Home Managers playing a greater role in the decision to detain vulnerable people for years. The length of time that the person could be made subject to the restrictions without a review being carried out would also increase under the proposals from […]
Simple blood test can spot Alzheimer’s a decade early
A simple blood test has been utilised to spot a particular type of Alzheimer’s over a decade before any symptoms appear. The test may potentially be used to spot other neurodegenerative conditions such as MS. Bryan Gordon, co-author of the study which was published in ‘Nature Medicine’, believes the test could be used in just […]
Probate and the burden of paperwork – what to keep and what to throw
When taking care of an elderly relative, one question that occurs to many people is what correspondence they should retain. Paperwork can mount up quickly and can make dealing with the person’s estate when they die a long and arduous process. On the other hand, binning letters and statements carries the risk of identity theft. […]
Should I extend my lease or wait for reform?
If you own a flat, you’ll probably be aware that the value of your property is affected by the term left on the lease. In addition you’ll find that mortgage companies are reluctant to lend on flats with less than 70 years to run, so the saleability of your property reduces as the term runs […]
Conveyancing Southport – Saving for a House Deposit
With the average price of a UK home now at £297,527 according to Rightmove and many lenders looking for a 10% deposit to secure the best mortgage deals, getting a foot on the property ladder has never been more difficult. But hope is not lost for Generation Y – by choosing the right account and […]
Can A Person with Dementia Make a Power of Attorney?
You can make a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) if you have dementia, but only if you still have mental capacity. Once mental capacity is lost, an LPA cannot be made. If you have been recently diagnosed with dementia, or your loved one has, you need to put a Lasting Power of Attorney in place […]
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