News

A homeowner has been granted permission to add a two-storey extension to his property despite objections from his neighbour. The case involved neighbours on an estate of houses around a private road constructed in the 1980s. The properties were subject to a building scheme imposing restrictive covenants. One homeowner gained planning permission to construct a…

The son of a car and property magnate has successfully sued his niece to gain a share of his late father’s estate and avoid becoming homeless. Colin Johnston was the son of Sidney Johnston, who died in 2017 leaving a £2.4 million estate to Colin’s niece, Lady Natalie Wackett. The father and son had fallen…

Making a will is one the easiest and best things you can do to protect the interests of the people you care about. It’s also the only way of ensuring that your wealth is passed on in the way you want. Unfortunately, many people never get round to making a will, which means they are…

Each year thousands of people create a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) to protect their interests in case their health and their mental capacity should start to deteriorate. LPAs enable you to nominate someone such as a family member or trusted associate to make decisions on your behalf if you ever lose the ability to…

Taylor Wimpey has agreed to remove terms from leasehold contracts that cause ground rents to double in price every 10 years. The effect of these increases has been that people have often struggled to sell or obtain a mortgage on their home. Their property rights can also be at risk if they fall behind on…

The government scheme to help key workers and local first-time buyers on to the housing ladder has now got under way. A nurse and a police officer from Derbyshire are among the first people to benefit. The First Homes scheme offers homes at a discount of at least 30% of the market price to local…

A widow has been granted a court order to prevent her deceased husband’s children from challenging his will under the Italian legal system. The deceased was born in Italy but moved to England aged 20, where he remained resident until he died aged 78 in 2018. His entire working life and most of his assets…

The government has allocated £8.6 billion to boost the number of affordable new homes and help thousands of people on to the property ladder. The Affordable Homes Programme is expected to deliver around 119,000 homes, including 57,000 for ownership, 29,600 for social rent and 6,250 affordable rural homes. The cash injection could support up to…

The government is hoping to provide more new homes by improving the way land is made available to developers, making it easier and more streamlined. Homes England launched its new Delivery Partner Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to mark a significant shift in the way the agency procures housebuilders, as well as increasing flexibility and accessibility.…

House prices across the UK increased by an average of 10.6% in the year to August 2021, according to the latest figures from the Land Registry. It means the average property in the UK is now valued at £264,244. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, house prices increased by 2.9% between July and August 2021, compared…