buying in London

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We’re not going to lie and pretend that selling a home doesn’t come with certain filing requirements. However, if you’re well prepared and allow plenty of time to get your affairs in order, you’ll avoid any last-minute panic. Follow our guide to discover more about what documents you need to move home and make the house-selling process that much easier.

 

Property title deeds

If you don’t have the property title deeds for your home, don’t worry too much. However, you will need to produce the deeds to prove that you do own the home you’re selling. You’ll be able to obtain these from the solicitor you used when originally applying for a mortgage or buying your existing property, or failing that, you can contact the Land Registry.

 

Energy Performance Certificate

All domestic and commercial buildings must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and it needs to be available to potential buyers as soon as you put your house up for sale. It is a useful document, which gives information about how energy efficient a property is, according to a rating of between A (very efficient) and G (inefficient). Only accredited Domestic Energy Assessors can produce valid EPCs.

 

What if my property is leasehold?

If your property is leasehold, you will need to provide a copy of the lease and complete a seller’s leasehold information form. Don’t forget that if you pay a management fee for services and maintenance you will also need to send off for a Management Information Pack. Your solicitor should be able to obtain this on your behalf.

 

Fittings and contents

Sometimes referred to as the Schedule of Fixtures and Fittings, the Fittings and Contents Form (TA10) specifies what the seller is including in the sale of the home and what will be removed.
In addition, anyone selling a property is required to fill out a Property Information Form (TA6). This is a questionnaire which gathers information about, for instance, planning consent and building regulations.

 

Anything else?

When dealing with a solicitor you will always need to provide proof of identity, so make sure you have a passport and recent utility bill to hand. You should also collect details of your existing mortgage, along with your account information and the amount outstanding.

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The need for new residential buildings is obvious in a big city like London. However, space for new homes can be an issue, even when the Government actually decides to give funds for development.

A recent report states that in London are 18 hotspots when it comes to counting residential developments.

In terms of values, the majority are localities where new build developments are priced at under £800 per square foot most are also outside zone 1.

These hotspots range from Southall in the West of London to Tottenham Hale in the North and West Ham in the East. They all have one thing in common: their future and raise of prices depends heavily on the infrastructure updates London already happening all across town.

Report identities new build development hotspots in London

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Over the past few years, the digital landscape has changed dramatically. Social media for estate agents is no longer an option but more of an imperative. Here are 4 BIG reasons why an estate agent should be using social media although they can apply to any business.

 

Social media doesn’t cost much

Social media, with its massive reach and huge audience, is the most effective way to promote your business online without investing a ton of money. Creating a profile is free and there are tools out there to help you manage all your profiles from one single dashboard so that helps take some of the stress away.

 

Developing an audience / following takes time but using the 75% / 25% approach – i.e. 75% of posts are about news / advice / help & support and then 25% are about you and your services – you should find it begins to grow.

 

Any paid promotions you decide to invest in, like Facebook Ads etc, are a relatively a low cost compared to other marketing expenses. The cost effective nature of social media enables you to see a much greater return on investment when compared to other marketing efforts.

 

Your customers are already on there

There were 2.80 billion global social media users in 2017, so many of your customers, clients, and future customers are already actively engaging on social media. It’s crucial as an estate agent that you engage and connect with your audience.

This is where social media can have a huge impact on your agency, giving you the opportunity to be in front of people who are relevant to your business and local area. Given the competitive nature of the property industry, social media is more important than ever in marketing your home to potential buyers or tenants.

 

Get in front of your competition

Although many agents use social media these days, it’s still surprising that a lot of companies are yet to get to grips with it properly. This is where you can turn it into your advantage; a lot of agencies neglect the engagement side of social media and solely put their efforts on advertising their properties. There is so much more to social media than just advertising your properties, by adding a human touch and engaging with your audience, your brand awareness will go through the roof.

 

Improves brand loyalty

A staggering 71% of consumers who have had a good social media experience with a brand are likely to recommend it to others. Reviews by followers can go a long way in improving your brand’s credibility, with people more inclined to contact you when looking to buy, sell or let a property.

 

Your followers can see what you are up to on a daily basis, giving you the opportunity to interact with them in real life and provide quick answers to their needs; this can go a long way in keeping potential customers satisfied.

By using social media, estate agencies can create more substantial, personal relationships with their clients while enhancing the visibility of their brand.

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  • South Woodford lies in the north-east corner of London, minutes away from the border of Essex. In fact Woodford and Woodford Green are both located in Essex.
  • E18 is leafy and suburban; it’s popular with commuters who love the convenience of being less than 30 minutes away from the West End.
  • The high street contains your usual, basic convenience chain stores but is broken up by boutiques, gastro pubs and a local cinema.
  • If you like weekend walks, then this is the place for you, as Epping Forest is on the borders of this area.
  • The area is reasonably small and quiet, but with that comes a sense of living in safe surroundings.

South Woodford’s retail and business area is centred on George Lane, the location of South Woodford tube station, and Woodford Green High Road. There are several leading chain store shops, such as Sainsbury, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Boots and a number of smaller shops, restaurants and cafes. There is a crown post office and Royal Mail sorting office.

There is a seven screen Odeon cinema, which opened in 1934 as a Majestic and is the only cinema in the area. As of November 2017, its freehold is for sale. Next door, The George pub, an 18th-century building on the site of an earlier inn, was originally a stopping point for stagecoaches, with several bars. The George once had a fine dining area on the first floor and then later a pizzeria in the basement, with a large spiral staircase between the floors. Other amenities include a number of green areas, many of which form part of Epping Forest.

There are numerous churches and chapels representing various Christian denominations, several synagogues and a mosque.

The area is served by South Woodford tube station in Travel card Zone 4 on the Central line of the London Underground.

South Woodford has a good selection of schools including Nightingale Primary, Snaresbrook Primary, Churchfields which has a junior and infant department, as well as Oakdale. There is also Snaresbrook Preparatory, St Josephs’ Convent voluntary maintained school, and Woodbridge Secondary School.

Forest School is an independent school, within close proximity to South Woodford, in that the playing fields are arguably in South Woodford.

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Although not concerningly, the London housing market is slowing down. The figures show it and the signs are here:

Sales to first time buyers in the UK fall to eight month low

Rental market in the UK slowing as homes to rent fall to 12 month low

Average house prices in the UK sent to remain flat in 2018, latest forecast suggests

Buy to let mortgage market in UK may never be what it was

Of course the factors that caused the housing market in London to reach this moment are not just a few. However, Property Division made a top of the 3 causes for the slowdown:

  1. Brexit
  2. Stamp duty changes
  3. Mortgage constraints

Read the entire article for the full explanations and arguments and tell us your opinion in a comment!

The top 3 reasons as to why the housing market is slowing in London

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