Carl Baker

If there is one thing that has been a continual theme since the Brexit referendum on June 2, 2016 it is uncertainty – and that is not particularly good for housing market confidence.  With withdrawal dates shifted on more than one occasion, not to mention a couple of changes of Prime Minister, it is surprising that market confidence has remained at the level it has.   So, what does the future hold for housing prices and mortgage rates in the wake of Brexit? Yes, that still remains somewhat uncertain.  The good news, however, is that popular opinion does appear to be moving away from the doom and gloom disaster forecasts that circled concerns of a ‘no deal’ Brexit.  Moving away from ‘do deal’ doom and gloom   This can only be good as some predictions were going as far as to suggest that as much as  20 or 30 per cent 1  could be wiped off the value of property in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit, which understandably would hit the housing market extremely hard.   ...

Major alterations to a home generally need building consent but when it comes to renovating a period property the legalities can be more complicated. If a period property is in a conservation area, an area of outstanding natural beauty or is listed the restrictions about what can be done to renovate it are increased. Many alterations to more modern homes do require building regulations approval, but these can often be met by using a trader from the Competent Persons Register who can self-certify that major electrical work or window installations, for example, meet the criteria. It would only usually be in the event of making major alterations such as adding an extension where planning permission would be needed. When renovating a period property, however, the need to secure planning permission is applied much more widely as local authorities work to preserve the character of certain areas and buildings. Planning permission for period properties Your first responsibility in buyi...