Landlords: EPC C By 2030 Is Now Confirmed
If you have been half following the EPC story for the last few years, you would be forgiven for thinking nobody knows what is happening.
A standard was proposed, then delayed, then dropped, then revived. Dates came and went. 2025, 2028, 2030, all of them quoted confidently by somebody.
That part is over. In January 2026, the government published its response to the consultation on the energy performance of privately rented homes, and landlords finally have a date to work to.
What has … Continue Reading…
Moving House Mid Term? How Families Make It Work
Everybody means to move in the summer holidays.
It is the plan every family starts with. Six clear weeks, no uniforms, no school run, unpack in August and walk into September like nothing happened.
Then the sale takes longer than anyone expected, or the right house appears in the second week of term, or the rental you wanted comes free in October. And suddenly you are moving in the middle of a school year with a maths test on Thursday.
It is far … Continue Reading…
Selling This September? Here Is Your Christmas Deadline
There is a phone call we take every year in the first week of September. Someone has decided, somewhere between the last barbecue and the first uniform run, that this is the year they move. Then comes the question.
“Could we still be in by Christmas?”
The honest answer is yes. But only just, and only if you get one thing right at the very start.
Why does September matter so much for sellers?
Something shifts in the first fortnight of September. The holidays … Continue Reading…
Landlords: How To Answer A Tenant’s Pet Request
The message usually arrives on a Sunday evening, and it is always polite.
“We have been thinking about getting a dog. Would that be OK?”
Since 1 May 2026, how you answer that is no longer just a matter of preference. There is a process, there is a deadline, and there are reasons you are allowed to give and reasons you are not.
What changed for landlords on 1 May 2026?
The Renters’ Rights Act came into force for most purposes on 1 May … Continue Reading…
August Market Update
The month of August is the traditional holiday period when less business activity generally takes place. The good news from our perspective is sales are up this month compared to July, despite the good weather and the difficult economy.
Over the past couple of weeks mortgage rates have reduced slightly from last month’s increase but there is still a need for further reductions to restore confidence and increase affordability. The higher cost of oil, a result of the conflict in the … Continue Reading…
What Every Homeowner Should Expect from an Estate Agent
Estate agents do not always have the best reputation, and it is worth being honest about that. In its 2025 Veracity Index, published in December 2025, Ipsos found that public trust in estate agents fell by five points on the year. That is not a comfortable statistic, but it is a useful one, because it raises the real question: how do you find an agent you can actually trust?
This is not a sales pitch. It is a guide to the … Continue Reading…
The Real Cost of Choosing an Agent on Fee Alone
When you are about to sell, a lower fee is tempting. It feels like the obvious saving. But the agent’s fee is one of the few costs in a house sale that can quietly pay for itself many times over, or cost you far more than you saved.
This is not about spending more for its own sake. It is about understanding what you are actually paying for, so you can choose well. Here is the real cost of picking an … Continue Reading…
What a Good Letting Agent Should Do for Landlords
If you pay a letting agent to manage your property, it is worth asking a simple question now and then. What am I actually getting for this? A good managing agent earns their fee quietly, in problems you never hear about. A poor one costs you far more than they charge.
So here is a clear picture of what a good letting agent should be doing for your money, and the warning signs that you are not getting value.
What should a … Continue Reading…
First-Time Buyer or First-Time Renter: Which Makes Sense for You?
Moving into your first home is a huge moment, and it usually starts with one big question. Do you rent, or do you try to buy? In 2026, with deposits, mortgage rates and rents all pulling in different directions, it is a genuinely tricky call.
There is no single right answer, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. What matters is which option fits your life right now. Here is an honest look at both, so you can decide … Continue Reading…
Down Valuations Explained: What Sellers Should Do
You accept an offer. Everyone is delighted. Then a few weeks later the buyer’s lender sends a surveyor round, and the property is valued at less than the price you agreed. That is a down valuation, and it can feel like the ground shifting under a sale.
It is more common than you might think, and it is far from the end of the road. If you are selling locally, here is what a down valuation actually is, why it happens, … Continue Reading…