Category Archives: Blog

Estate agents as well as the media still seem perplexed by prices….are they going up or going down? The budget could help to answer that question. HMG has raised the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) from 5% to 7% on … Continue reading →

If there was ever a reason why the EU might need an excuse to abolish or water down farming subsidies, this was it. The Institute for Economic Affairs has issued a report this week which claims that the EU’s farming … Continue reading →

John Stevenson, Conservative MP for Carlisle, wrote on the 15th January 2012 about how we can “improve the property market without increasing tax”. He recommends shifting the stamp duty burden from the buyer to the seller. He says this would … Continue reading →

2012 will be similar to 2011 but this time more pronounced. Last year saw reasonable levels of activity up to July only for the so called autumn market fail to live up to expectations. Buyers held back while sellers pondered and … Continue reading →

As Hanslips stated back in January 2011, when everyone was breathing a sigh of relief that the worst was behind us, it remained clear that pressure on house prices had not simply vanished into thin air. The patient had a … Continue reading →

As if the threat of a mansion tax were not enough, another spectre is now haunting the owners of rural Britain. The Liberal Democrats are proposing a levy on their acres as well. Details are lacking but what has come … Continue reading →

 Hampton’s figures for Q1 2011 show that 72% of buyers in the London prime market were foreign but that figure dramatically increases to closer to 85% if you focus on areas like Mayfair and Knightsbridge. Interestingly 55% of those selling in Q1 … Continue reading →

              Changes to the French wealth tax system could make waves this side of the Channel. From January 2012 non-resident property owners will be paying considerably more tax. The French Government is closing a holding company loophole, used by wealthy … Continue reading →

Your overriding aim is to present yourself as a “serious buyer” who is unlikely to let the seller down at the last minute. Be organised, realistic and clear about the property you are trying to buy. Before you start looking … Continue reading →

The vast majority of homes are still sold via an estate agent so your relationship with them will be paramount. Precisely because Hanslips is a homesearch agent and not an estate agent and acts only for buyers, we feel well … Continue reading →