OUR INDUSTRY BLOG
Is There Still Time To Avoid Paying £’000s in extra Stamp Duty Tax in 2025?
Property Tips by Chartered Surveyor Ian Rock FRICS - from the Haynes House Manual series The Stamp Duty Deadline is Fast Approaching - Act Now To Avoid Losing Out Stamp Duty is a tax paid when you purchase property in the UK. It's also known as...
The Dangers of Spray Foam Roof Insulation
Why Spray Foam Roof Insulation Can Make Your Home Unmortgageable Rightsurvey Chartered Surveyors and the RICS have been warning about the risks of spray foam insulation for many years, but the product is still heavily advertised. It can come as something...
Can you make a claim against the seller if the house you buy turns out to have serious defects?
The Strange Case of the Buyers Who Claimed £36m Compensation for Moth Infestation In a recent legal case a couple who in 2019 paid £32.5 million for a seven bedroom Victorian house in London's Notting Hill area subsequently sued for the vendor on the...
How To Make Sense of Your Survey
Property Tips by Chartered Surveyor Ian Rock FRICS - from the Haynes House Manual series Decyphering Survey Reports - Understanding 'Surveyor-Speak' Survey reports rarely make uplifting reading. After all, you're not paying the surveyor to...
Why it’s important to check your property’s EPC rating – Energy Performance Certificate
Property Tips by Chartered Surveyor Ian Rock FRICS - from the Haynes House Manual series Have you checked your home’s EPC rating? Anyone planning to sell or let a property must by law get it professionally assessed so it’s marketed with an...
What happens if your property is ‘downvalued’ by the mortgage lender?
Property Tips by Chartered Surveyor Ian Rock FRICS - from the Haynes House Manual series What can you do if your mortgage valuation comes in lower than the agreed sale price? Surveyors carrying out mortgage valuations for banks and building society...
How much is your property really worth?
Property Tips by Chartered Surveyor Ian Rock FRICS - from the Haynes House Manual series What is it actually worth? Before you put it on the market…. Before getting too serious about moving home it’s essential to get a...
What to do if your survey says you need to get a ‘specialist report’
Property Tips by Chartered Surveyor Ian Rock FRICS - from the Haynes House Manual series What to do if your survey says you need to get a ‘specialist report’ Specialist reports When you read through your...
What Can You Do If Your Mortgage Lender Keeps A Retention?
Property Tips by Chartered Surveyor Ian Rock FRICS - from the Haynes House Manual series Why do banks sometimes hold back part of the mortgage as a ‘retention’ - and what can you do about it? As a purchaser it’s...
What can you do if a surveyor is negligent and misses something important?
Property Tips by Chartered Surveyor Ian Rock FRICS - from the Haynes House Manual series What if your surveyor fails to spot a serious defect ? The main reason for getting a survey before you commit to...