In recent months, a new breed of firm has emerged which take a new twist on a burgeoning trend. Much like more established companies which offer to buy any vehicle, these online start-ups promise to buy any home for up to 90 per cent of their value. The lure for many house sellers is the transaction can be completed in just a matter of weeks.

If you’re in need of cash quickly, firms such as Webuyanyhouse.co.uk, Quickbuyers.co.uk and Housebuyerbureau.co.uk offer to buy your property so you can achieve a quick sale. However, vulnerable homeowners are being warned that in many cases homeowners are offered just a fraction of the property’s real value and end up tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket.

Peter Bolton King, a spokesman for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, was quick to voice his concerns about the new firms: “Homeowners looking for a quick sale are vulnerable by definition and are prime targets for quick sale property websites. Homeowners should know they are unlikely to be offered the value they had hoped for”. More...

Conveyancing is perhaps the most nerve-jangling aspect of buying or selling a property, but mandatory as it is, you need to make sure you find yourself the very best firm for the job.

Conveyancing is the legal process involved in the transferral of a property’s ownership titles from one party to another and can be completed by either a solicitor or a specialist licensed conveyancer. 

The six main duties of a conveyancer

Whether you choose to use the services of an experienced solicitor or a dedicated licensed conveyance, there are six main responsibilities to carry out on behalf of the buyer: More...

Karis Jones, a family law solicitor from Howells, has been attending the Huggard Centre in Cardiff to provide a free legal surgery to the community.

The Huggard Centre is a Cardiff based charity tackling homelessness and seeks to overcome the problems and barriers which force individuals to sleep rough. The Huggard Centre offers a day service which is open 365 days of the year, a 20 bed hostel with additional emergency spaces and 14 shared houses with tenant support which can accommodate 52 people. There are personal and tenant support staff on hand to help, advocacy and many volunteers who assist at the centre.

Once a month, Karis Jones visits The Huggard Centre to provide a free legal surgery to members of the Centre and members of the public on any issues relating to family law. Karis said: “The Huggard Centre has been providing frontline services to homeless people for over 20 years. Unfortunately, many people (due to the recession and significant changes to legal aid) do not have the funds to seek legal advice in respect to family matters; therefore, this is a great opportunity to help those in a vulnerable position. I have carried out three legal surgeries so far and they are proving to be very successful.” More...

We are pleased to announce that Alun Rosser, a vastly experienced residential and commercial property solicitor, is the latest specialist to join the growing team at Howells Solicitors.

With over 30 years experience at partner and director level at two legal practices, Mr Rosser will be joining Howells to manage the growth of our conveyancing teams in Mid Glamorgan. Mr Rosser is a key senior appointment to our conveyancing department as we continue to record significant increases in the number of cases we are dealing with. In June, we recorded a 62% increase in the number of cases completed compared to the same period in 2012.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Rosser said: “In my previous role, I was a director of a local private practice that grew into a national conveyancing firm. We secured preferred supplier contracts with national chains of estate agents resulting in high volumes of conveyancing cases. More...

A 61% increase in the number of completed conveyancing deals in May compared to the same month last year can be attributed to the continued improvement of market conditions in the housing sector and our investment in new software.

“Low interest rates and improved bank lending are two of the key economic factors responsible for this increase” said Mark Hobbs, managing partner at Howells Solicitors. “There has been a rise in the number of first time buyers who have been saving for their mortgage deposits and are now taking advantage of the low interest rates and Funding for Lending Scheme. Clients are also perhaps a little apprehensive that interest rates might change and that house prices could begin to rise again so they want to take advantage of the current conditions.” More...