Since the Grenfell Tower disaster in 2017 made headlines, severe fire safety risks caused by unsafe cladding in residential buildings have become a growing concern across the UK. In response to these concerns in Wales, the Welsh Government introduced the ...
The sheer volume of applications dealt with by HM Land Registry inevitably leads to mistakes slipping through unnoticed. It can therefore come as an unexpected, and unwelcome, surprise to discover that your registered title documents contain a mistake. ...
Buying a new build home comes with many advantages. You can choose the décor, you are the first owner, major repairs and problems are less likely and maintenance is less costly. However, buying a new build property can also come with its own...
Director and Deputy Head of Residential Property Rhian Jervis at JCP Solicitors shares her top tips on making the home-buying process as smooth as possible. 1: Check your conveyancing quote carefully Conveyancing is the branch of...
We are proud of our hardworking Conveyancers who go over and above to help our clients buy their dream homes. In a time where we have all been faced with or read about frauds and scams, they also make sure that what is probably the biggest purchase of a...
Many people who have bought a house, a business, shares in a company, created a Trust or been through financial settlement in a divorce will know that we ask you to provide details of your overall wealth and proof of where your money has come from. ...
I often receive queries from clients who do not require a mortgage to purchase a property, as to whether they should undertake searches. Whilst searches are required if you are purchasing with the aid of a mortgage they are not mandatory if you are a...
First-time buyers may be dismayed to hear that property prices in Wales soared to a record high in September this year– with significant double-digit price rises seen across 16 authorities. All 22 areas across Wales experienced increases,...
JCP Solicitors is pleased to have strengthened its leading Residential Property team with two new recruits who will unlock faster matter turnaround and support growth. Joe Hawkins and Katie Walters have joined the firm’s specialist Residential...
As one of Wales’ largest law firms, receiving 50-60 new conveyancing instructions a week, JCP Solicitors found themselves needing an eIDV solution that would streamline the onboarding process while keeping compliance top-of-mind. Waiting on certified...
During the month of June our residential property team will be under immense pressure due to the Land Transaction Tax and Stamp Duty Land Tax holiday coming to an end, alongside the current buoyant market conditions and ongoing impact of the pandemic. If we...
The pandemic has put a lot of strain on the residential property market, so it is important to be aware that there can be unavoidable delays caused by any of the different parties involved in a transaction. We are doing everything possible to minimise such...
Social distancing has become part of our life now, but distance between neighbours has always been a potential flashpoint, when it comes to boundary disputes. If you think your neighbour has overstepped their boundary, or is encroaching on your territory,...
The current guidance allows for residential house sales and purchases that are situated within Alert Level 4 / Tier 4 areas in England and Wales to proceed. However, as a seller and/or a buyer, you need to be alert to the risks involved. As...
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is a levy on the profit when you dispose of an asset that has increased in value. Therefore it is not a tax on the money you receive for an asset, but the tax on the profit alone. The deadline for paying CGT after selling a...
In March this year new rules were introduced that, effectively, halted property owners’ powers to obtain possession of residential and commercial property by way of Court proceedings. This Practice Direction (Practice Direction 51Z) was put in...
A Covid-19 update on the Property Market with Emma Gilroy Head of Residential Property at JCP Solicitors. The guidance for people moving residential home during the pandemic has now been updated. However the new rules only apply to England currently as...
HMLR announced changes which came into effect on Monday 4 May 2020, which provide alternative agreed ways in which deeds can be signed and also how ID can be verified in order to assist with the progress of property transactions during this very unusual...
Although there are difficulties with home moves at present due to Covid-19, we are still seeing purchases of new build homes proceeding. This is due in part, because the property being purchased is vacant and unoccupied as it has just been built. Some house...
Are you thinking of buying a New Build home or your very first property to allow you to get on the property ladder? Do you know the Welsh Government have a scheme that could help provide the financial assistance you’re looking for to buy your New...
As we know, there are strict restrictions currently in place due to COVID-19, which limits home moves and prevents viewings of properties. This does not mean that sellers should not begin to get arrangements in place ready for when restrictions are...
With the Corona Virus outbreak continuing to make its mark on all areas of our lives, many of our clients are concerned about how it will affect the progress of their house sale or purchase. As we have seen, the Coronavirus situation is an ever-changing one,...
A video blog by Emma Gilroy, Head of Residential Property – JCP Solicitors . Please note this video was uploaded at 10am on Monday 30th March 2020. This is a fast-moving situation, so it is important that you digest the full guidance here . To keep...
The Government has published the Coronavirus Bill 2019-21, outlining new measures coming into force for both residential and commercial landlords and tenants, in these unusual times. The effect of the measures for residential tenancies appears to be less...
Under proposed emergency legislation recently announced by the Housing Secretary, evictions from social and private rented accommodation for any tenant affected by the Coronavirus outbreak will be suspended for a period of three months. The Housing...
JCP Solicitors has further strengthened its respected West Wales Property team, by appointing a new Head of Residential Property to work alongside recently appointed Head of Commercial Property for the area, both of whom will work out of JCP offices in...
After spending significant sums on searches, surveys, mortgage fees and legal fees, if your residential property transaction falls through, where do you stand and are you able to recover these costs? Buying a home can be a stressful time, but the financial...
JCP Solicitors’ Conveyancing team is enjoying a successful season, having been shortlisted for another prestigious award – at the national Eclipse Proclaim Modern Law Conveyancing Awards 2019. The news comes hot-on-the-heels of the JCP team...
With many first-time buyers still struggling to get onto the housing ladder, an increasing number of buyers are being given a leg-up by family – by way of a gift of cash to help with the deposit. This is perfectly fine – and very welcome for...
Two legal teams at Welsh law firm JCP Solicitors are celebrating after scooping a trio of award wins in quick succession. JCP Solicitors’ Residential Property team won Conveyancing Team of the Year at the Wales Legal Awards, while the law firm’s...
Two teams from JCP Solicitors have been shortlisted for two prestigious law awards. The Residential Property Team and the Family Team have both been shortlisted in the Wales Legal Awards 2019, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony in Cardiff...
Smart new builds seem to be popping up in the region like spring bulbs, which says good things about the local economy and is good news too for young house seekers keen to get a foot on the housing ladder. Buying a new build has its advantages, as anyone...
The first home buyers of the flagship Prince’s Wharf housing development, in Swansea’s SA1, have been welcomed to their new homes with celebratory bottles of Shiraz and Bordeaux since the house types have all been named after famous grape...
During the pandemic, the residential property market has had to adapt to a lot of changes. While our team have been working hard to minimise any impact on our clients, some delays may be unavoidable. As such, we recommend that you anticipate it taking...
The news that from today (6th April 2018) a Lifetime ISA (LISA) can be used to help buy a first time residential home will be welcomed by many who are keen to get on the housing ladder. Effectively, the scheme, available to anyone under 40, means first time...
Meet Rhian Jervis, a Legal Executive in Residential Property for JCP Solicitors. Based at the law firm’s Swansea office, Rhian is a key point of contact for many local estate agents. Her experience and her warm, approachable manner has made her an...
There are few topics more contentious when it comes to property than second home ownership. Britain faces a chronic housing shortfall, while many of us daydream about owning a pretty, whitewashed bolthole by the sea at some point in our lives. If you are...
Major changes to Stamp Duty charges were brought in from 1 April 2018 in Wales, with a new system – called Land Transaction Tax - administered by the Welsh Government. The move is being hailed as a big step for those in favour of more devolved...
Emma Gilroy, Director and head of Residential Property sheds light on the conveyancing process. Conveyancing is a crucial part of the buying and selling process, which involves legally transferring home ownership from a seller to a buyer. Your...
We have been made aware that fraudsters are attempting to divert house deposit payments that would normally be paid to a Solicitor in the legal process. Conveyancing Client Protection Advice It is highly unlikely that Solicitors will ever change their...
With the UK’s annual budget for 2018 having been announced, one topic has caused quite the talking point. On 22 November 2017, Stamp Duty Land Tax was abolished for first time buyers purchasing homes up to £300,000 with immediate effect. This is...
When you have found your dream home and you are planning your future in it, you will have many exciting things to think about; your new décor; what the neighbourhood has to offer; how the children will fit into their new school; how long your commute...
Emma Gilroy, Director and Head of Residential Property at JCP Solicitors, looks at the issue of Japanese Knotweed. When buying a property, buyers usually make their choice because of the location. However, a key consideration when you are viewing property...
Emma Gilroy, Director and Head of Residential Property at JCP Solicitors, shares some tips on dealing with vendors who are splitting. Without wanting to take the gloss off the New Year, we all have heard that festive fallout can occur around December and...
Emma Gilroy, Director and Head of Residential Property at JCP Solicitors, shares some of the ins and outs of property auctions either as a buyer or a seller. Buying or selling property in the traditional way, with its chains and its frequent delays, can be...
Emma Gilroy, Director and Head of Residential Property at JCP Solicitors, shares some insights into how to achieve success in the property market, either as a buyer or a seller. That moment when your offer on your dream home has been accepted can be one of...
Interim Possession Order –A Quicker Procedure To Remove Squatters Applying for an Interim Possession Order (‘IPO’) from the Court is an option available to a landlord (both individually and commercially) who finds anybody occupying their...
Emma Gilroy, Director and Head of Residential Property at JCP Solicitors, shares some insights into possible ways to achieve success in the property market, either as a buyer or a seller. As David and Samantha Cameron can tell you, moving house can be a...
If you are a first time buyer and looking for help getting onto the property ladder, the Help to Buy ISA may be just what you are looking for. Do I qualify? The Help to Buy ISA scheme will reward first time buyers, who are saving for a deposit to...
The most useful summary of the hedge and ditch rule can be found in the ruling of Judge Lawrence in Vowles v Miller (1810). “The rule about ditching is this. No man, making a ditch, can cut into his neighbour’s soil, but usually he cuts it to...
A snapshot of the new Welsh Government legislation set to affect landlords and agents in Wales. Designed to improve the standards of letting and management practice in the private rental sector in Wales, important new laws set to be introduced in autumn...
In this week’s Ask The Legal Expert blog, we get the latest specialist advice from our Property team: Where will I find information about the precise location of my boundaries? Newspapers sometime report on acrimonious neighbour disputes arising...
In this week’s Ask The Legal Expert blog, we get the latest specialist advice from our Property team: I want to sell my house, but where are my deeds? When you originally bought your house, after successfully being registered as the new owner of...
Yesterday, the Chancellor George Osborne announced drastic changes to the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) system for residential property, and these changes take effect from today. It is indicated that the revised system will result in savings for 98% of...
Around 4pm today our CEO, Hayley Davies will hand over her 2013 title of South Wales Evening Post Swansea Bay Woman of the Year to the 2014 winner. However, not only will this coveted title be passed from a JCP Partner to the next worthy winner, but we get...
We are delighted to announce that Emma Gilroy, Partner and Head of our Residential Property team has been selected as a short-listed nominee for the category of Professional Woman in the South Wales Evening Post 2014 Women in Business Awards. Emma has been...
The increase in people deciding to act as executor and deal with a person’s estate without taking professional advice has meant claims at the High Court against executors for breach of their duty to a deceased’s estate have tripled in the last...
Could the Green Deal Home Energy Efficiency Improvement Fund help you? On 1st May 2014, The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced that it would launch the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund in order to support domestic energy efficiency...
H M Land Registry has set up an alert system to help property owners protect themselves against property fraud. Property fraud can happen by fraudsters impersonating the registered owner or, the fraudsters can use forged documents to attempt to acquire...
In order to claim the relief it is important that the farmer lives in the farmhouse. More importantly the farmer must run/manage the farm from the farmhouse. It is possible therefore that if the farmer has retired and the land is let on grazing...
The title of the Lord of the Manor may create visions of Downton finery or to others a self-claimed badge of hard man honour, but as a string of UK homeowners are finding out the Lord of their Manor may be just around the corner. As around 700 homeowners in...
The presumption when it comes to land ownership is that the landowner owns from the depth to the heavens. This therefore may create a situation whereby a neighbouring property can build right up to yours and therefore prevent any light getting onto your...
A recent Court of Appeal decision has reiterated a warning (hopefully) given to residential landlords in England and Wales regularly, namely that a tenant’s security deposit must be adequately protected in a suitable scheme prior to commencing any...
The Green Deal is a Government initiative aiming to reduce energy consumption by encouraging property owners to install energy saving measures. It will relate, in the main, to older properties. The Green Deal can apply to both residential and commercial...
