Homeowners' Hub

Whether you’re looking to sell your property privately, online, or through a traditional estate agent, our selection of guides should help you every step of the way.

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Whether you’re moving to a new town, a new county, or even a new country, relocating can feel like an overwhelming task. There’s so much to think about – from deciding what to do with your existing home to choosing whether to buy or rent in your new area. Throw in packing up all your

Accurately predicting the near-term future of house prices is challenging. However, in an attempt to try and gauge which way the market is most likely to head, we’ve collected and aggregated predictions from property experts to produce a ‘poll of polls’ or – more simply – an average of what most experts think will happen

One of the most important documents in the home buying and selling process is the TR1 form. The TR1 form is a legal document used to transfer the ownership of property from one party to another. It is typically completed as part of the conveyancing process, and its significance cannot be overstated. The TR1 form

Whilst many vendors choose to list their property with just one agent, it isn’t the case that you have to stick to just one. In the UK, you can list your property with two or more agents if you wish to, which is known as either a joint sole agency agreement or a multiple agency

A second home in the form of a buy-to-let property was once a sure-fire way to earn yourself a nice extra income or invest in a nest egg for retirement. However, the buy-to-let market has taken a hit in recent years thanks to changing tax regulations which were introduced to curb the number of buy-to-let

An Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC for short, is one of the many pieces of paperwork that you will need when selling or letting a property. An EPC tells a potential buyer or renter how energy efficient your property is, and rates this on an alphabetic scale – from G (lowest; very inefficient) to A

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In-depth Guides

The market for online estate agents has increased dramatically in recent years, going from virtually nothing in 2008 to accounting for 7% of the property sold on the UK market in 2017. But, what are online estate agents, and why should you care?

Homeownership is now seen as an achievable possibility, with millions of people owning homes across the world. It wasn’t always like this, and it wasn’t until building societies started to spring up in the Victorian era that everyday people could own homes. These building societies created secured loans, but they came with a catch: you only paid the interest for 3 to 5 years, and you paid the principal (the amount of money outstanding) at the end of the loan.

Although it’s certainly not impossible to get a mortgage when you’re self-employed, it can be a little trickier than securing one on a regular salary. Here’s our guide to mortgages for the self-employed – how to get one, what to look out for, and a few pieces of advice to help you through the process.

With ever-increasing property prices, and some areas of the UK (particularly London) becoming prohibitively expensive for young people, more first-time buyers are turning to their parents for a helping hand with getting on to the property ladder. In fact, according to one survey, three-quarters of people who don’t own a property would like to but

Conveyancing is the act of preparing all the documents to facilitate a transfer of property. Professionals who do this are known as either conveyancers or solicitors, and they form a vital part of the property chain. They keep things running smoothly from a legal perspective and if you haven’t ever sold a home before or if you’re not familiar with the process they can be an absolute boon.

If you’ve fallen in love with a Grade II listed building, you’re facing a dilemma – do you take on the additional responsibility of preserving a small piece of historical heritage, or do you resist the purchase because it may be trickier to make the changes you want?  Adaptations, alterations and renovations to turn a

Area Guides

With excellent commuting links, plenty of green, open spaces and affordable housing, this up-and-coming South London suburb is fast becoming a property hotspot as a result of a major investment scheme and council funding which includes new housing, shops and town centre improvements. Situated in the popular borough of Merton, this former Surrey town –

Dunfermline in the eastern county of Fife was known as the capital of Scotland between the 11th and 13th centuries and housed many of its most illustrious rulers. In 2022 it has once again curried favour with royalty, receiving city status during the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours on 20 May 2022 and hosting King Charles

The market town of Rugby in the West Midlands county of Warwickshire dates back to the Iron Age and is the birthplace of rugby football, the jet engine and, interestingly, holography. Primarily a small, rural settlement, Rugby, like the rest of Warwickshire, saw great expansion with the arrival of the railway in the 19th century

The upmarket, south east London neighbourhood of Herne Hill has been popular with well-heeled Londoners for some time now. With the news that former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and his family plan to relocate there now that they have vacated No.10, we take a closer look at what Herne Hill has to offer. Sandwiched on

Sunday Times favourite Ilkley in West Yorkshire received the prestigious title of the UK’s best place to live in 2022 earlier this year. Falling under the Bradford local authority area, former spa town Ilkley is located 12 miles north of Bradford city centre in the Wharfe Valley, which is the southern tip of the stunning

Nottingham is the county city of Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands, 45 miles north-east from Birmingham and 30 miles south-east of Sheffield. Known for its association with local legend Robin Hood and as a centre of industry for lace, coal and manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution, modern Nottingham has a lot to offer East Midlands

Home Improvements

When you buy a freehold property, you are buying ownership of the property and the land it is built on for an unlimited amount of time. In the UK (apart from Northern Ireland and Scotland where the rules differ slightly) when you purchase a leasehold property you are only buying ownership of the property for

In recent years, there has been a significant push towards more sustainable and energy-efficient technologies in homes across the UK. One such technology that has gained prominence is the heat pump. Indeed, heat pumps are anticipated to be one of the main heat sources in new homes in the coming years as the government sets

As with many things in life, the initial answer to “How much does a loft conversion cost?” is “Well, how long is a piece of string?” Meaning of course, that the cost of any property conversion or extension you undertake will be entirely dependent on the work you are having done and the size and

With rising food and energy bills and inflation hitting 10.1%, we are seeing the cost of living and interest rates soar, particularly when it comes to our mortgages. This means that now, more than ever, UK homeowners need to make sure that our homes are working for us. In October 2022, the government also announced

There has been a significant rise in the awareness of climate change and the impact of fossil fuels worldwide in recent years, with many of us seeking out greener and more energy efficient upgrades for our homes. When you add to this the skyrocketing energy prices, inflation and interest rates of 2022, even more homeowners

In an effort to reduce our contribution to climate change, the UK government announced in November 2020 that sales of new petrol and diesel cars would end by 2030, with the sale of plug-in hybrid or full hybrid models only allowed between 2030 – 2035 if they are capable of driving a ‘significant’ distance with

Research

It’s official. Living near ‘outstanding’ rated schools commands a house price premium – both compared to lesser rated schools and the surrounding area. Here at Yopa, we analysed current housing market data for almost 18,500 schools up and down England*, looking at the average house price in each schools postcode, how the cost of homeownership

Home to Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton The hit Netflix series “Bridgerton“, produced by Shonda Rhimes and based on the novels by Julia Quinn, has captivated audiences worldwide with its lavish portrayal of Regency-era London and the lives, loves, and scandals of the Bridgerton family, a wealthy and influential clan navigating the intricate social circles of

With the announcement that production is starting on the newest instalment of the Bridget Jones film franchise – Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy – based on Helen Fielding’s 2013 book of the same name, our latest fantasy valuation takes a look at the home of one of the UK’s most popular modern day literary

The latest research by Yopa, the award-winning national estate agency, reveals that savvy homebuyers can secure an asking price discount by searching for properties that have come back onto the market after failing to find a buyer in 2023. But where are the best savings to be found? And where are the most homes coming

Released in November 1990, Home Alone is arguably one of the most popular Christmas films of all time. Spawning several sequels and a recent TV series and treating us to a fantastically festive score, plus plenty of memorable quotes (who can even say “keep the change” without mentally adding “ya filthy animal”?!), the film remains

With worries about the use and safety of RAAC in our schools and other public buildings being highly publicised of late, it is understandable that our thoughts would also turn to our homes. Particularly since the materials used in the construction of our properties can significantly impact their value, longevity and even their safety, as