News & Legal Updates

As you will be aware, the Scottish Budget for 2020/2021 was published on 6 February 2020. This made changes to a number of financial regimes, including that of the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (‘LBTT’) regime. The principal change is the formation of a new tax band of 2% payable on non-residential leases which have … Continue reading "Scottish Budget – Land and Buildings Transaction Tax change"

Private Residential Tenancy Since 1st December 2017, new Scottish tenancies for separate dwellings require to be a Private Residential Tenancy (“PRT”), subject to certain exclusions. Any disputes arising out of PRT’s are resolved by the First Tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) (“the FTT”). Any appeal can be made to the Upper Tier … Continue reading "Private Residential Tenancy – Landlord Dispute"

The impact we have on the environment around us has been at the forefront of most people’s minds and heavily covered in the media over the last twelve months. The Scottish Government has also announced ambitious targets for Scotland to be carbon neutral by 2045. It seems that home owners will now be expected to … Continue reading "Energy Efficiency Proposals and their potential cost to Home Owners in Scotland"

Since 01 December 2017, the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) (“FTT”) has dealt with actions for eviction in respect of private residential leases instead of the Sheriff Court. The FTT has recently published their decision in the first successful action for unlawful eviction. When is eviction unlawful? When evicting a tenant, landlords … Continue reading "Unlawful Eviction"

An owners perspective, West Wing, North Newseat Of Ardo, Ellon, AB41 7HQ This blog was written by the current owners of West Wing (as of 23.10.2019).  “I think one of the things I love about the house is its humble beginnings, it originally started life as the neighbours cow shed and was developed into a … Continue reading "Traditional steading which has been converted to an exceptionally high standard"

Since December 2017, the First Tier Tribunal Housing and Property Chamber (‘the FTT’) in Scotland has had exclusive jurisdiction to deal with applications made in relation to residential tenancies. Simultaneously, a new type of tenancy was created – the private residential tenancy. Private residential tenancies replace both short assured and assured tenancies, providing greater protection … Continue reading "8 functions of the FTT that can help Tenants and Landlords"

Whilst most home buyers move within a relatively small geographical area there is still a significant proportion who will relocate. Relocation can happen for a variety of reasons, most commonly employment but I am seeing an increasing number of homeowners relocating to be closer to family (usually the grandchildren!). Whilst the media tends to discuss … Continue reading "Relocation: a potential financial disaster"

Absolutely, it is hard to contemplate that it was around 1948 when a new road was first discussed. The new bypass, which is made up of Southern, Central and Northern Sections, has made life-changing differences to road users in and around the city. I still find it hard to believe that during what was previously … Continue reading "Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route | 10 years in the making and a billion pound spend: was it worth it?"

The majority of first-time buyers will need some sort of funding to assist with their purchase. The most common way is to take out a mortgage. Essentially, a mortgage is much the same as any other type of borrowing with the main difference being that the loan is secured against your property.  What this means … Continue reading "7 Points for first time buyers to consider when funding your new home"

We have all heard the old saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, in Estate Agency, pictures can make a huge difference in the level of interest your property receives, which can ultimately determine how quickly your property will sell. Today’s buyers can sit in the comfort of their own home, taking their time … Continue reading "The importance of professional photos in Estate Agency"