Guides for people moving home.

2 September 202617 min read

Joint Tenancy vs Tenants in Common

One choice decides whether your share passes automatically to your co-owner, or to whoever you name in your Will. Most buyers make it in under a minute.

29 August 202619 min read

What Is a Defective Title?

Indemnity insurance can make a title problem survivable. What it cannot do is make the problem go away — and that difference catches buyers out.

Renting & letting

The PRS Database for Landlords Explained

Registration is coming for every private landlord in England, and an unregistered property may not be lawfully advertised. Here is what to get ready.

27 August 202614 min read

26 August 202619 min read

What Does a TR1 Form Include?

Twelve panels decide who owns what. One of them quietly determines whether your share passes under your Will — here is what each part does.

21 August 202610 min read

What Is a Statutory Declaration?

A signed statement, made under the Statutory Declarations Act, that carries legal consequences if you lie. Here is when you need one and who can witness it.

21 August 202610 min read

What Is HM Land Registry? Its Role and Function Explained

It records who owns what across England and Wales — and your sale cannot complete without it. Here is what it holds and how to search it.

20 August 202627 min read

Buying a House: What Your Solicitor Actually Does

Your offer is accepted — then what? Here is what your solicitor actually does between that moment and the day you collect the keys.

Selling a home

Selling a House: What Your Solicitor Actually Does

The estate agent finds your buyer. Your solicitor does everything else — here is that work, stage by stage, and where it usually stalls.

20 August 202620 min read

20 August 202611 min read

Conveyancing Fees Explained: What's Included, What Isn't

Two quotes, two very different prices — often because one hides costs the other states upfront. Here is what should actually be on the page.

Conveyancing process

How Long Does Conveyancing Take?

There is no fixed number of weeks. Here is what conveyancing actually involves, stage by stage, and the most common reasons it slows down.

20 August 202612 min read

Fixed Fee Conveyancing: What It Is and What to Check

"Fixed fee" does not always mean fixed. Here is what should be included as standard, and the extra costs that can still catch you out.

20 August 202615 min read

How to Compare Conveyancing Quotes Properly

A £795 quote can end up costing more than a £1,100 one. Here is how to compare what's actually included before you choose.

20 August 202610 min read

What Is a Mortgage? A Simple Guide for Home Buyers

Fixed, tracker, variable, interest-only — the type of mortgage you choose affects your monthly payment for years. Here is how each one works.

What Is a Lender's Solicitors Panel?

Picked your own conveyancer already? Your mortgage lender might insist on their own solicitor too, unless yours is on the approved panel.

What Is a Gifted Deposit?

Family help with a deposit is common, but lenders want it in writing. Here is what a gifted deposit letter needs to say, and why.

What Is a Surveyor? A Guide for Home Buyers

A mortgage valuation checks the property is worth the loan. A survey checks whether it's actually sound. They are not the same thing.

20 August 202610 min read

What Is a Declaration of Trust?

Put in more of the deposit than your partner? A Declaration of Trust is how that gets written down before you buy, not argued about later.

Conveyancing process

Money Laundering Checks in Conveyancing Explained

Your solicitor isn't being nosy asking where your deposit came from — it's a legal requirement, and it can delay your purchase if you're not ready.

20 August 202611 min read

What Is a TA6 Form? A Guide for Buyers and Sellers

Boundaries, disputes, alterations, insurance — the TA6 asks sellers to disclose it all before a buyer commits. Here is what each section covers.

What Is a TA7 Form? The Leasehold Information Form Explained

Selling a flat involves more paperwork than selling a house. The TA7 is where the lease, service charges and ground rent get put in writing.

What Is a TA10 Form? Fittings and Contents Explained

Is the light fitting included? What about the shed? The TA10 is where buyer and seller agree, in writing, exactly what stays and what goes.

20 August 202610 min read

What Is an LPE1 Pack? A Guide for Leasehold Sellers

Selling a flat means someone else — a managing agent — holds the paperwork a buyer needs. The LPE1 pack is how it reaches their solicitor.

Conveyancing process

Exchange of Contracts: A Guide for Buyers and Sellers

Up to exchange, either side can walk away. The moment contracts are exchanged, that changes completely — here is what happens and when.

20 August 20268 min read

20 August 202611 min read

What Is SDLT (Stamp Duty)? A Complete Guide

Stamp Duty is one of the biggest costs of buying a home, and the rules change depending on whether you're a first-time buyer or already own a property.

20 August 202612 min read

What Is a Local Authority Search? A Guide for Home Buyers

Your conveyancer says they're waiting on the local search. Here is what it actually checks, from tree preservation orders to planned roads.

20 August 202614 min read

What Is Planning Permission? And Building Without It

Planning permission and Building Regulations approval are not the same thing, and missing either one can stall a sale. Here is how to check.

20 August 202614 min read

What Is an Article 4 Direction? A Complete Guide

An Article 4 Direction can quietly remove your right to extend or alter your home without asking. Here is how to check if one applies before you buy.

How to Check If a Property Has an Article 4 Direction

There is no single national register. Here are six practical ways to check whether a property sits inside an Article 4 area.

20 August 20265 min read

20 August 202616 min read

Mortgage Lenders and Solar Panels: Why Some Refuse

The panels themselves are rarely the problem. It's the lease behind them, and it can quietly derail a sale or a remortgage if nobody checks it in time.

18 August 202614 min read

What Are Property Searches in the UK?

Your conveyancer says they are "ordering the searches". Here is what they are actually looking for, and what happens when a search finds something.

Freehold vs Leasehold: What’s the Difference?

One word on the listing changes what you own, what you pay each year and how easily you can sell. Here is the difference, without the jargon.

18 August 20267 min read

Why You Don’t Have to Use Your Estate Agent’s Conveyancer

Your agent has a firm they always recommend. They may also earn a few hundred pounds for the introduction. You are not obliged to take it.

18 August 20268 min read

What Is an EPC? Energy Performance Certificates Explained

You cannot market a home without one. Here is what an Energy Performance Certificate measures, what the rating actually means and how to improve it.

18 August 20269 min read

What Is a Title Deed? A Simple Guide for Buyers and Owners

Most property in England and Wales is now registered digitally, so the deeds in your drawer may not be the thing that proves you own your home.

18 August 20266 min read