HIPs Suspended
As of tomorrow 21st May 2010 the government will be suspending the use of Home Information Packs (HIPs) with immediate effect. Homes sold on or after tomorrow will no longer need a HIP pack.
What does this mean for you? If you are putting your home up for sale on or after 21 May 2010 you will no longer require a Home Information Pack (HIP). However Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) are to be retained. Sellers will still be required to commission an EPC, but they will no longer need to have received an EPC before they place their property on the market.
If you require an further guidance on this issue you can contact Carver Residential on 01325 466 945 or email enquiries@carvercommercial.com.
Stamp Duty cut more beneficial for the South
The recent change in the stamp duty land tax limit for first-time buyers from £125,000 to £250,000 was brought in to boost the housing market.
However Gordon Carver (director of the Carver Group) has recently commented in an article “It would be more beneficial to first-time buyers in the more expensive South, since the average house price for first-time buyers in the North-East is £120,000″*.
Stamp duty land tax replaced stamp duty in 2003. SDLT is a tax you pay on the purchase price of a property or land in the UK. SDLT limit normally starts at £125,000, but if you’re buying your first home after the 25th March 2010 the threshold rises to purchase prices over £250,000.
This new threshold for first-time buyers does come with some strict conditions. You must never have owned a house or flat within the UK or anywhere in the world. If you are purchasing a property with someone else they must not have owned a property either.
For more information on Stamp Duty Land Tax you can contact Carver Residential on 01325 466 945 or email enquiries@carvercommercial.com.
*Original article appeared in the Northern Echo on 25th March 2010, which you can read here.
Sainsbury’s deal transforms empty shop and creates jobs
A DEAL brokered by Carver Commercial part of the Carver Group has helped bring a prominent empty shop back into use, creating 20 jobs into the bargain.
Sainsbury’s has just opened a new convenience store at 63-65 Duke Street in Darlington, following an extensive refit for the c.2,700sq ft (c.250sq m) premises, which had been empty for some time and were last used by an estate agency.
Carver Commercial director Julie Wallin said: “Sainsbury’s have done a fantastic job on the Duke Street outlet. It’s an excellent shop fit and a huge transformation of the building. It’s also great for the street scene.”
Ms Wallin said the latest Darlington letting came at time of increased inquiry levels in the retail sector across Carver Commercial’s core South Durham and North Yorkshire patch.
“There is still a shortage of freehold properties and plenty of good cash buyers around, particularly in the owner-occupier sector,” she added.
“Investors are beginning to return to the market, enticed by the continuing low interest rates. We are also seeing general signs of confidence returning, with an increase in new start-up business inquiries.
New store manager Rick Turnbull said the opening had gone extremely well.
“We’re in an excellent position here, with high footfall levels and a great local community.”
