A Guide to Help to Buy: ISA
Many hopeful homeowners have opted to open a Help to Buy: ISA. This government scheme aims to financially support first time buyers by topping up their savings. If you’ve got a Help to Buy: ISA, you might have a few questions about how it works and what happens when you want to use it. That’s why our mortgage experts have created this helpful guide to make things a little bit clearer.
Help to Buy: Equity Loan, Explained
Help to Buy: Equity Loan is a government funded affordable housing scheme that aims to help first time buyers get on the property ladder. It started in April 2013 and offers hopeful homeowners the option of buying a 5% deposit on a new build property, with the government covering an additional 20% of the purchase price. Let’s explore how it works in more detail.
Leasehold vs Freehold Guide
Leasehold and freehold are different forms of property ownership in England and Wales – essentially describing how you ‘hold’ the land. If you’re not sure what the difference is and want to understand these terms a little better before proceeding with your property search, our handy guide should help.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)
If you’ve had any interaction with the housing market, it’s likely you’ll have come across EPCs. EPCs are important pieces of information for buyers and tenants when exploring properties, detailing energy performance and potential living costs in the future. For landlords and those selling their houses, EPCs are a legal requirement. To help make sure everyone understands what these certificates are and why they’re necessary, we’ve created this handy guide.
EPC Regulations, Explained
If you’re a landlord of a domestic private rented property, there are certain standards you need to uphold. One of these concerns the energy efficiency of your property. The Domestic Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) sets out that all rented properties legally required to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) must achieve a minimum rating of E. In this guide, we explain everything you need to know in order to meet your obligations.