ALL CHANGE ON THE HIGH STREET
The last month has seen HM Government’s relaxation of commercial user clauses in an effort to re-vitalise many of our ailing High Streets, and to attempt to re-dress the balance that the internet has had on people’s shopping habits. The current pandemic has further emphasised the need for that. The current change has put in place by way of a statutory instrument and without the need for legislation to be taken through Parliament. It is temporary for a year from 1st September but with the promise of a permanent re-structuring to be announced in July 2021.
There is now a new use, known as Class E (Commercial, business and service), which will mean that a premises that are currently used as a retail shop can be changed without the need for a change of use to many other commercial uses. We can now expect to see uses such as gyms, leisure uses, medical clinics etc. appearing in our High Streets, mixed use of buildings is also being encouraged. It is also no longer necessary to apply for a change of use from a shop to a restaurant. However take away and wine bars are excluded to control a possible proliferation of such uses in the High Street which is seen as counterproductive.
This a very positive step in modernising the planning system which was first created in 1987 and has been modified a number of times since then, however nothing quite as radical as the current shake up. Notwithstanding this you should always check that your use is permitted within Class E, before making a legal commitment in respect of a property. Many uses are incorporated within Class E and it will open up many opportunities, but there are exceptions – so take care.
Diane Tait
Commercial Manager
Government Changes to Tenancy Law
COVID-19 has brought with it a lot of changes to the Lettings sector to protect tenants during these unprecedented times. The stay on possession proceedings has been extended until the 20th September and legislation has now been introduced so landlords must give tenants 6 months’ notice before they can evict, until March 2021. This is except in the most serious of cases, such as incidents of anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse perpetrators.
To find out more, CLICK HERE.
If you require any further information or have any questions please do not hesitate to contact our Lettings Department on 01702 341177.
Beth Braun - Property Consultant
We are delighted to introduce our latest staff member Beth Braun who has joined our busy Leigh-on-Sea branch and brings with her a huge amount of experience, enthusiasm and energy.
Living in Leigh-on-Sea her entire life, Beth knows the area like the back of her hand and looks forward to helping many local residents with the successful sale or purchase of their dream home.
In her spare time, Beth likes nothing more than staying active in the local Gym and you will most likely see her in one of the many bars on Leigh Broadway on a Saturday night!
Beth is on hand to answer any of your property related questions!
Celebrating Success - WE ARE FIRST!
Hair & Son Leigh-on-Sea are celebrating being named Leigh’s top selling Estate Agent according to the latest data from Rightmove. Figures just released puts Hair & Son’s Leigh branch at number one for new sales agreed and with a market share that appears to be growing at an impressive rate.
Area Manager Paul Dobbs explains “It is well reported that the UK housing market appears to be going through a bit of a mini boom, with the media and many estate agents reporting a surge of activity and strong demand from an ever growing number of buyers. We at Hair & Son have really capitalised on this over recent months by introducing some unique new marketing methods that are proving hugely successful for our customers”
Paul says “ It isn’t just modern technology that is the secret to our success, I also firmly believe that I am lucky enough to have one of the most experienced, passionate and hardworking teams around me. In nearly thirty years of working in the industry, I have never had such a dedicated team of people all with the same vision and determination and I would like to thank all of them for the long hours and huge effort they are giving and this accolade is most certainly a welcome reward for us all.”
Having sold homes to the value of over £4.3 million in the last few weeks alone, Hair & Son Leigh-on-Sea are in need of new homes to sell. Therefore if you have a property in the Leigh-on-Sea, Hadleigh, Benfleet & Thundersley area why not get in touch and add yourselves to their ever growing list of happy customers.
01702 47 00 66
Paul Dobbs
Hair & Son Leigh-on-Sea
Britain gets moving…
Britain gets moving as an unexpected mini-boom pushes prices to a record high.
Latest news from Rightmove show that the current mini-boom we are experiencing is gathering momentum as Britain gets moving again. Year on Year enquiries are up 75% since the start of July and the average asking price of property coming to market in Britain hits a record this month, 2.4% (+£7,640) higher than in March pre-lockdown.
Rightmove also confirm the number of monthly sales agreed is up 15% in England on last year, and in the five days after the stamp duty announcement it jumped to 35% up on the same days a year ago. The same stamp duty holiday may also encourage more property to market to ensure sellers have plenty of time to move before the March deadline
There is also a further boost to market activity – and especially for first-time buyers – with more low deposit mortgages available for up to 90% of the purchase price.
Contact your local Hair & Son sales office to talk about your property and mortgage requirements.
PROPERTY HOTSPOT – SOUTHEND ON SEA
It was recently reported in the FT Weekend that research by Zoopla Research and HM Land Registry has demonstrated that house hunters are choosing properties in the suburbs over and above City living. Lock down with the combination of home working and the Government’s furlough scheme has prompted people to evaluate what their home means to them and buyers are choosing green space rather than close proximity to their office. Buyers of all ages are choosing suburban and coastal living, demand in London is reported to be down . The change in demand between February and June of this year in Southend on sea is reported to be up by 108%. The research reports stronger sales nationwide for June 2020 than in the same month in 2019.
We, at Hair and Son, have experienced a stronger bounce than expected on return from lockdown. There is good demand for properties in all price brackets which echoes the reports finding. It is not surprising that Southend on Sea, with its’ excellent rail links to London, coastal location and open spaces is reported to be the hotspot for the South East.
The recently introduced stamp duty holiday due to expire in March 2021 will help homebuyers, as well as buy to let investors also. Prior to this recent initiative a buy to let investor would have paid £30,000 in stamp duty for a residential property costing £500,000, under the current temporary relief scheme their stamp duty would be reduced to £15,000.
For further information please contact your local office. We will be happy to answer any of your questions.
UPDATE - OPEN FOR BUSINESS
As a company we are continuing to take precautions to protect our customers and our staff and continue to provide the best service we can. We have taken further measures to reduce the spread of this virus. Details can be found below:
Where possible, some of our colleagues continue to work from home. However, with the phased relaxation of the rules and increasing numbers of people being able to return to work we will now be open with effect from Monday 15th June 2020 between 9AM to 5.30PM. This may be further reviewed as events continue to unfold.
PAYMENTS
Payments by cheque can be left using our letter box. Payments can also be made by telephone – please ring our cashier on 01702 226162 between the hours of 9.00AM and 5.00PM during Monday to Friday. We are no longer open on Saturdays. Payments can also be made direct to our bank using the details already provided. If unsure, please contact our cashier as above.
OTHER MATTERS (INCLUDING EMERGENCY REPAIRS) Please ring our reception on 01702 39 49 59 between the hours of 9.00AM and 5.30PM Monday to Friday and our staff will be pleased to help you. We are no longer open on Saturdays.
If you have any questions, we can currently be contacted via all our usual channels.
NEW MANDATORY ELECTRICAL SAFETY REGULATIONS EFFECTIVE FROM 1ST JULY 2020
THE ELECTRICAL SAFETY STANDARDS IN THE PRIVATE RENTED SECTOR (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2020 COME INTO FORCE ON 1ST JULY 2020 FOR LANDLORDS OFFERING NEW RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES FROM 1ST JULY ONWARDS.
WHAT TYPE OF TENANCIES DO THE ELECTRICAL SAFETY REGULATIONS APPLY TO?
- Residential tenancies where tenants have the right to occupy either all or part of a premises as their only or main residence, they pay a rent, and it is not listed as an excluded tenancy (detailed below)
- Note: The regulations currently only apply to rental properties in England only. And the regulations replace those already in place for HMOs.
WHEN ARE THE REGULATIONS EFFECTIVE FROM?
- For new private tenancies entered into from 1st July 2020
- For existing tenancies from 1st April 2021.
WHICH TENANCIES ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE ELECTRICAL SAFETY REGULATIONS?
- Private registered providers of social housing; lodger arrangements; long leases or tenancies which grant a right of occupation for a term of 7 years or more; student lettings in halls of residence; and tenancies granted to occupiers of hostels, refuges, care homes, hospitals, hospices and other accommodation provided as a result of a duty imposed on an NHS body.
WHAT DO LANDLORDS NEED TO DO?
- Hire a qualified person to carry out an inspection to check that the electrical installations in their rental properties comply with the 2018 edition of the Institute of Engineering and Technology wiring regulations.
- Ensure the electrician prepares a report detailing: (i) results of the inspection and (ii) date of the next inspection (which will need to be at least every 5 years)
- Initial inspections need to be carried out before any new tenancy is granted from 1stJuly 2020, and by 1st April 2021 for existing tenancies.
- If the report identifies a breach, further investigations must be carried out within 28 days of the inspection, or within a shorter period if specified. Landlords should obtain written confirmation of completion of the remedial works and provide this within 28 days of completion to each existing tenant, and to the local authority.
REPORT REQUIREMENTS
- The report will need to be supplied to new tenants before they move in, to existing tenants within 28 days of receiving it, and to any prospective tenant within 28 days of their request to view the report.
LOCAL AUTHORITY’S POWERS TO COMPEL COMPLIANCE
- They have the power to demand sight of the report, which landlords should provide within 7 days of the request or they face a penalty.
- They also have the power to serve a remedial notice on a landlord to compel them to comply with the regulations if they have reasonable grounds to believe the landlord is in breach.
- Landlords have 28 days from the date the notice is received to remedy the breach, and if the work is not carried out in time then the local authority has the power to carry out the required works themselves (on providing prior written notice to the landlord) and then recover their costs from the landlord.
- Landlords who fail to comply with the regulations may face a civil penalty up to a maximum of £30,000, with the potential for multiple penalties to be imposed for a continuing failure
For further information please contact the property management team at H&S on 01702 394959
Commercial Property Market Update
The returning commercial property market continues to show strength. We have had a very busy couple of weeks since I last wrote and we continue to see strong interest for commercial property across the board. Freehold acquisitions are particularly strong and with talk of negative interest rates the potential of purchasing a commercial investment with returns of 7 -8% look increasingly attractive – far better than stuffing your money under the mattress!
I mentioned previously the vacant freehold industrial unit that was coming to the market. That is now live with a tender process closing in mid-July, we have been busy with viewings on that and have more booked for next week. Details are on our website and please call for more information.
Terms were agreed in respect of another unit on the Wickford Business Park on a commercial lease within 7 days of marketing – if you are looking for a tenant for your commercial premises please call us, we have a wealth of experience and are here to help.
Diane Tait
Commercial Property Manager
RECORD LEVELS OF PROPERTY ENQUIRIES
Rightmove has released some encouraging data for the residential property market confirming for the first time ever it received over six million visits to its portal in one day!
Rightmove stated four days ago (Wednesday May 27) it saw visits exceed six million in a day for the first time, which is up 18 per cent on the comparable day of 2019. Meanwhile the busiest ever day with regards to time spent on Rightmove was Saturday May 23 with over 47m minutes spent collectively. The site says home-mover momentum has been building over the two weeks since the housing market reopened in England. And it says it’s found “a new wave of buyers now entering the market” since the lockdown finished.
A similar picture is being seen by our sales offices with strong levels of new property enquiries and property valuation requests. Contact your local office to discuss your property requirements.
Thorpe Bay: Tel: 01702 58 22 55
Southend-on-Sea: Tel 01702 34 11 77
Leigh-on-Sea: Tel: 01702 47 00 66
Rayleigh: Tel: 01268 77 43 16
Wickford: Tel: 01268 76 34 77