Murphy Waldron Estate Agents

Have you been caught up in escalating leasehold charges? Click on the link below to read the latest report that has been carried out on leaseholds. It might help you or someone you know.
www.murphy-waldron.com

Customers increasingly want face-to-face contact with agents
New research suggests that there is still real value in estate agents having a high street presence, with more than half of consumers in the UK preferring to communicate with agents face-to-face.
The survey of over 1,000 people, commissioned by Winkworth, found that 56 per cent of respondents would prefer to communicate with their estate agent in person, with 16 per cent preferring to communicate over the phone, 15 ...per cent by email, five per cent via online chat, two per cent through personal apps and two per cent by text.
Surprisingly, online communication methods were most popular among the 25-34 and 35-44 age groups. Respondents in the 16-24 year age category favoured telephone or face-to-face interaction, with zero per cent of the same age group opting for no contact at all. And whilst those aged 55 and over preferred face-to-face contact, they were also the group with the highest percentage of respondants who preferred no contact with an agent at all.
Recent reports suggest that there are tough times ahead for estate agents, with a stagnating market and the rise of online agents, resulting in a slowing of high street property sales. However, the research shows an overwhelming desire by the majority for face-to-face interaction.
Winkworth CEO Dominic Agace said: “This survey demonstrates that having a physical office is clearly a big draw for clients when choosing an estate agent. We aren’t surprised by this, as buying or selling a property is one of the biggest transactions somebody will make and it’s reassuring to be able to pop into an estate agent’s office whenever we need to talk through things.”
Broken down by age group, the results seem to reflect generational differences, with the highest proportion of votes for using a personal app or dashboard coming from 16-24 year olds (10 per cent). 35-44's gave the highest proportion of responses to using online chat (9.4 per cent), and 35-44's and 45-54's had the highest proportion of votes for text communication, albeit at just 3.1 per cent and 3.2 per cent respectively.
Dominic continued: “This goes to show the importance of adapting to changing attitudes and offering a flexible service where clients can contact their agent in a way that suits them. It’s clear from this feedback that people’s preferences stem from lifestyle and familiarity with certain technologies, so it’ll be interesting to see how communication evolves when the younger generations start to join the property ladder in years to come.”
But he also pointed out that agents with offices must not neglect their online and digital presence: “At Winkworth, we’re focused on both building our high street presence and evolving our digital offering.”
Need any assistance from our personal service driven high street agency? Call us: 0161 787 9195 www.murphy-waldron.com
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Need any property tax advice? Liz Roberts is your woman!🏡💷

Fancy a job on the famous cobbles ?? Here’s how you can apply below. .... You’re welcome!😜☘️ www.murphy-waldron.com

Moving home?? Here’s some top tips to manage your finances along the way. 🤗👍🏻
How to Budget for Your Move
As the seller, you typically have fewer costs than the buyer, who must pay stamp duty for any house which is worth more than £125,000. The buyer will also have to pay for the survey and mortgage fees. However, there are still significant costs to bear in mind so it's best to be prepared.
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Have you received a party wall notice?? Here’s some information that may help if you have. You’re welcome!😉
I have received a party wall notice, what do I do?
The party wall notices will tell you that your neighbour is planning to carry out some building works that may affect your property or boundary walls.
... Within 14 days you must reply in writing to confirm whether you agree to the work or dissent from the work.
If you do not reply you will automatically have dissented from the work and within a further 10 days you must appoint a surveyor.
If you do not appoint a surveyor your neighbour will appoint one for you.
You may be able to agree with your neighbour to use just one surveyor to act for you both.
The surveyors will look over your neighbour's plans and may ask for more details or some changes to make sure that the work is unlikely to cause damage to your buildings.
The surveyors will visit your property and agree a record of its condition before the work starts.
The surveyors will agree and serve an agreement known as a Party Wall Award, this will set out the works that are authorised and what happens if something were to go wrong.
The Award may also include direction as to how the work is undertaken, access to your property, security and will deal with any costs including fees, which in most cases are the responsibility of your neighbour.
Can I stop the works?
The Party Wall Act grants statutory rights to work on a party wall or near to your property, so providing these are adhered to, you cannot use the Party Wall Act to stop any works, instead you will need to object on planning permission grounds.
I am not happy with the Party Wall Award, what can I do?
You can appeal the Party Wall Award in the County Court within 14 days of it being served.
Can I get compensation?
Not usually, but if your neighbour uses a part of a party wall that was built by you he may have to compensate you for the cost of building it.
What happens if damage is caused to my property?
The Party Wall Award will detail how any damage is to be made good, the surveyors will agree the work and liability and your neighbour can do the repair works or you can ask for a payment in lieu so that you can carry out the repair works.
If the surveyors cannot agree then they will refer the matter to a 'Third Surveyor' for arbitration, the Third Surveyor will prepare and serve a binding award.
www.murphy-waldron.com 0161 787 9195
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We are looking for the following reliable, qualified, trustworthy, efficient tradesmen in Salford/Manchester area:
* Plumbers * Gas Engineers (Gas Safe Registered) * Electrician (NICEIC Registered)... * Qualified Decorators
Must have P&EL insurance & references. Work involved is all area of property maintenance/management and refurbishment. Small jobs to big jobs!
Please send your details to: info@murphy-waldron.com or better still pop in so we can meet you!
www.murphy-waldron.com
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Buying a Leasehold Property - What You Need to Know
Did you know that four in 10 new properties in England and Wales are now sold as leasehold, ranging from one bedroom flats in city centres, to four bedroom detached homes in rural areas?
Before you buy a leasehold property, it is important to be aware of what your lease includes and understand any charges you may face when buying a leasehold home.
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Stamp Duty: yet more for government despite 69,000 first time buyers
Figures from the Treasury suggest that the annual revenue from stamp duty for the year to the end of March is 10 per cent higher than in the previous years - and that’s despite 69,000 first time buyers who have escaped the tax under new rules.
The autumn Budget included an announcement by Chancellor Philip Hammond that first time buyerswould be exempted from stamp duty on properties under £300,000.
... This led to a 20 per cent slump in the amount of stamp duty taken in by the government in the past quarter, but nonetheless the amount for the full year was a tenth higher than the previous 12 months.
The overall quarterly SDLT transactions fell from 333,500 to 267,800 in January, February and March. HMRC says these figures are “broadly in line” with official forecasts.
The average first time buyer saved £2,300 through the exemption, with the largest savings on FTBs in London - they typically saved £4,300 - while the average in Northern Ireland was the lowest, at £800.
Very nearly a fifth of all first time buyer transactions were in south east England and another 13 per cent were in London.
Most first-time buyer purchases were for properties priced under £300,000 although in London some 42 per cent were purchasing homes between £300,000 and £500,000.
The government claims that over the next five years it anticipates that over a million first time buyers will benefit from the duty exemption.
Separate figures published by the government show that over 387,000 people have used the government’s Help to Buy scheme, and over 1.1m accounts have been opened with the Help To Buy ISA.
The median age of a first time buyer in the Help To Buy scheme is 27, compared to a national first-time buyer median age of 30.
“Through this scheme we have helped almost 159,000 households get a foot on the housing ladder” claims housing minister Dominic Raab.
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Are you a property leaseholder?? Important information!!Leaseholds shouldn't drop below 80 years.
Leaseholds shouldn't drop below 80 years, warns legal expert
... People living in leasehold properties should extend the remaining terms of their leases before they drop beneath 80 years, according to a legal expert.
Kerwoods Solicitors says that failing to do this could result in large bills and protracted, expensive legal battles, as highlighted by a recent Court of Appeal ruling.
The case of Mundy v The Sloane Stanley Estate was based on a small Chelsea flat that had only 23 years remaining on its lease, and where appeal judges upheld the freeholder’s claim for a £420,000 payment to extend the terms.
Veronica Du'Quesnay, head of residential conveyancing at Redditch-based Kerwoods, says: “Most leases start at 99 years, and so can be easily forgotten about. But once the time left on the lease drops beneath 80 years, what’s known as ‘marriage values’ apply.
“This means that the freeholder is entitled to half of any increase in the home’s value that happens as a result of extending the lease, which in today’s spiralling property market can cost the leaseholder a lot of money.”
As well as ‘marriage values’, Du'Quesnay says allowing a lease to fall under 80 year could have other financial impacts if the home-owner wants to move house.
“The closer the lease gets to the 80-year barrier, the harder it will be to sell – which means the value of your home will start to decline.
“This is because many banks and building societies are reluctant to consider mortgages on properties of less than 70 years.”
For more property advice contact: Murphy Waldron Estates 0161 787 9195 www.murphy-waldron.com
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Agents warn of two-tier market as London falls but rest of UK booms
Average house prices in the UK have increased 4.4 per cent in the year to February according to the latest official house price index from the Office for National Statistics.
But London prices dropped 1.0 per cent on the year and 2.1 per cent in February alone, leading to concern amongst agents.
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Brits spend more than £40bn making their house a home
Homeowners, who have spent on home improvements, across the UK have spent more than £40 billion over the last five years making home improvements – working out at £1,875 each. The most popular improvements include redecorating, garden landscaping, new flooring and refreshing the bathroom.
As National Home Improvement Month begins, NAEA Propertymark reveals UK homeowners have spent a total of £41 billion doing up their home...
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If it looks too good to true..... quite often it is!
Online estate agency Tepilo and over-60s ‘life plan’ property sales service Homewise have been rapped over the knuckles following complaints made to the Advertising Standards Authority.
Firstly, Tepilo: the ASA says it received a complaint about its website failing to make clear that if a seller chose not to use Tepilo’s suggested conveyancer in a sale, he or she would have to pay a higher fee. “
... “After we approached the advertiser, Tepilo confirmed that they will make the £360 charge clearer on their website. Considering this, we closed the case informally” says a spokeswoman for the authority.
Secondly, Homewise: this is an operation which advocates older home owners over 60 years of age purchasing their next home at a discount from the market price providing they buy into an unregulated ‘life plan’ - its effect is that the same property may be on sale at different prices to buyers depending on whether they take up the plan.
The ASA received four complaints that challenged the accuracy of a property listing from Homewise on Rightmove.
The authority says the listing showed that the property was priced at a guide price of £138,600. However, in reality this was only offered to people aged over 60 and eligible for Homewise’s Home for Life Plan, but these conditions were not made clear.
“After we approached the advertiser with our concerns, Homewise assured us that similar future property listings will make clear that the headline ‘guide’ prices quoted are only offered to those in their over-60’s Home for Life scheme. Upon receiving their assurance, we considered the case to have been closed informally” says the ASA spokeswoman.
A similar complaint about a different property marketed by Homewise was made to the authority in autumn 2015.
Sellers advised: Never use online agents as they may under-sell your home
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From 1 April 2018, Land Transaction Tax (LTT) will replace Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) in Wales, marking the first new tax in the country for 800 years.
With the current average house price in Wales at £153,034, the new taxes, which kick in on property's above £180,000, will save the average home buyers £560 compared with Stamp Duty Land Tax.
Going forward the Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA) will be responsible for the collection and management of Welsh devolved taxes, with HMRC... no longer accepting SDLT returns for land transactions in Wales with an effective date of transaction on or after 1 April 2018. Solicitors and legal conveyancers will need to register to file LTT returns online.
As with the rest of the UK, the tax will be tiered, however the price bands and percentages do differ between LTT and SDLT. The new thresholds see a 3.5 per cent charge on properties between £180,000 and £250,000, five per cent on the portion between £250,001 to £400,000, 7.5 per cent on £400,001 to £750,001, 10 per cent on £750,000 to £1.5 million and then 12 per cent on anything above £1.5 million.
A higher rate of tax will also apply to purchases of additional residential properties, including second homes, being charged at an extra three per cent.
Mark Hayward, NAEA Propertymark Chief Executive commented: “We’re pleased that the Welsh Government has listened to our proposals and next week will be introducing new land transaction tax (LTT) bands in Wales; house buyers will really feel the difference of these changes. For buyers at the lower end of the market, the new bandings mean they won’t pay any land transaction on properties worth up to £180,000; this is the value of the average house price in Wales.”
Guidance
The Welsh Revenue Authority website is the best place to go for guidance on the changes, and includes information on cross-border transactions and how the taxpayer is under an obligation to split the consideration given, based on the relative value of the land that falls into each tax jurisdiction.
The WRA have also created a tax calculator to help people work out the amount of LTT they will need to pay for Welsh transactions completed on or after 1 April 2018.
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Government boost to tackle empty homes
Newly announced legislation will allow councils to charge double the rate of Council Tax on homes left empty for years. Thousands of long-term empty properties across England could be brought back into use as the government introduces new legislation to allow councils across England to charge double the rate of Council Tax on homes that are left empty for years.
... The Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Bill 2017-19 is just one of a range of measures being introduced by the government to fix the country’s broken housing market, and will expand on council's existing powers and incentives to tackle the issue of empty homes.
Since 2013, when councils were given powers to charge a 50 per cent premium on Council Tax bills, the number of empty dwellings fell dramatically. There are currently just over 200,000 long-term empty dwellings in England, compared to 300,000 in 2010. And whilst the number of homes empty for six months or longer remains substantially lower than when records began back in 2004 when the figure was 318,642, councils will be handed powers to levy additional charges on homes standing empty for two years or more.
However there are exemptions in place for homes that are empty due to the occupant living in armed forces accommodation for job-related purposes, or to annexes being used as part of a main property. Also, the Council Tax system provides statutory exemptions for properties left empty for a specific purpose – for example, when a person goes into care. Councils also have powers to apply discounts in cases where homes are empty due to special circumstances – for example, hardship, fire or flooding.
Local Government Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “It is simply wrong that, while there are 200,000 long-term empty properties across the country, thousands of families are desperate for a secure place to call home.
“This new power will equip councils with the tools they need to encourage owners of long-term empty properties to bring them back into use – and at the same time tackle the harmful effect they have on communities through squatting, vandalism and anti-social behaviour.”
The second reading of the Bill is due to take place in the House of Commons on 23 April 2018.
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Looking to live in The Heatons, Stockport? Top 3rd place to live in the North West. This property is located right in the heart of Heaton Moor Fantastic apartment - fantastic price! Available now! Call for a viewing: 0161 787 9195 👍🏻

Very friendly staff very efficient and professional .

Professional, reliable & always available. Would highly recommend Marian & her team.

Murphy Waldron Sales have assisted us to sell over 50 properties in the last 18 months, they are also currently marketing 9 properties for us in Warton near Lytham. They have excellent knowledge and experience while offering a fantastic level of customer service. Highly recommend Murphy Waldron to help you sell your property.

Marian & her team have provided fantastic support, guidance & wealth of knowledge for a what has a been a big move in more than just moving house. Marian always on hand either by phone or email as where the rest of her team.



After years of working in the housing industry for almost 10yrs Murphy Waldron exceed my own past experience & I would certainly recommend them for sales, lettings or management. My definite future agent without doubt.



Marian thank you sincerely to you & all your staff, you are a credit to the industry.

Worked at Murphy Waldron for about 4 months. The ladies in the office are lovely and helpful, however I have never dealt with such ...... person like the company director ( Marian ) is. Still waiting for my last wage to be paid. She ignores my texts, calls or emails, had to speak to Acas to get help to get my money back. Hope it will be sorted soon. The way the business is run and the legal side leaves many questions. Please do not be naive and avoid. If you need any more info on the company please message me privately, I will be more then happy to answer.

Marian waldron, director does not answer phone calls, does not keep you informed or any rent arrears, does not reply to emails, spends a lot of the time, sick, out of the office or is generally unobtainable. Marion Waldron is the sole person looking after my tenants rent that has been paid to her and is refusing to explain why she is unable to pay this money into my bank account. Are they going bust? This is only my experience and it looks like there is only 1 other person, not me, that likes this page. I wonder why? In order to post this message so that others dont get ripped off I have had to hit a star above. obviously the dont deserve any stars form me at least. 1 star= poor I guess 2 stars could mean very poor?