"You can maximise your chance of hassle-free Conveyancing in Essex with area contacts and know-how. Fridaysmove-recommended Solicitors maintain close links with relevant local authorities. With regard to issues commonly arising during Essex home-moves, your Solicitor will also utilise their area experience to anticipate and resolve these before they affect you.

We have assisted home movers throughout Essex, including Conveyancing in CB10, CM2, CM3, CO2, CO3, EN9, IG10, IG9, RM20, RM4, SS11, SS8."

Local issues considered by Essex Conveyancing Solicitors:

Essex Stamp Duty Relief

Stamp duty relief may be available for property purchases in Essex labelled as 'disadvantaged areas', using local government wards to delineate boundaries. For homes bought for less than £150,000, this relief may be available. If it is thought that a property is in a disadvantaged area, but an online search does not confirm this, it may be necessary to make further enquiries with the local council. A postcode search is worth undertaking to determine whether a residence under the £150k threshold is in a Disadvantaged area. This relief is not generally available on commercial property, but some relief may be available for 'mixed use' premises such as a shop with a flat above.

Disadvantaged areas in Essex include Harwich East, Golf Green, Rush Green.

Is your Essex dream home in an at risk conservation area?

Local authorities designate conservation areas to manage change in regions that people want to protect from unsympathetic development. However, sadly many are falling into neglect e.g. out of control street clutter.

The following conservation areas are reported as at risk:

• St Osyth - poor, low vulnerability and deteriorating.
• Thorpe-le-Soken Station and Maltings - very bad, medium vulnerability and deteriorating significantly.

HS2 disruption to Essex homes

Planning of the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail link between London and the North is now underway. The first phase of construction will occur between London and the West Midlands. HS2's affect on property values and the environment is of concern to many Essex inhabitants. Your conveyancing solicitor will conduct a local authority search to confirm how close the HS2 line lies to your proposed purchase. The impact of HS2 can range from compulsory purchase of your home, to noise and other disruption and/or a reduction in the value of your home.

Should you get a more accurate HS2 search?

Properties further than 200m away from the line, and therefore not covered by the relevant local authority search, will nevertheless be affected. The construction phase alone could cause significant disruption to local homeowners, even if their property is some distance from the route. A thorough search is fortunately available, called a HIGHSPEED 2 search. Key questions the HS2 search considers:

• Is the property near the proposed High Speed 2 route from London to the West Midlands?
• How will the route affect the property?
• Is the route in a tunnel, in a cutting, at ground level or on a viaduct?

The HS2 report is reinforced by a £10mil indemnity policy. We advise that you speak to your solicitor if you have any further questions.

If my Essex purchase is within 200m, should I be concerned?

Construction work, traffic, noise pollution and vibration are all factors which could affect homes further than two hundred metres from HS2, but a local authority will not reveal this. A HS2 search is also of relevance to buyers within 200m of the line. Owners should bear in mind that once construction starts, compensation can be a lengthy process under current legislation. This is particularly true in situations where it is a view or enjoyment of the property which is impacted. Measures will include schemes to streamline statutory purchase and sale and rent back procedures, and to accelerate small claims arising from for construction damage. Fridaysmove do not intend to comment on the merits of the HS2 scheme.