The coronavirus disease leaves a long shadow of discomfort behind some of us, as the loneliness lingers Professional Social Work Magazine (PSA) asks if Covid caused long hoarding, after we no longer needed emergency supplies. We investigate the evidence for this, and … [Read more...]
RICS Property Guide to Flooding
The RICS property guide to flooding explains the specific protection and adaption measures, that a prudent executor should take. This applies particularly to instances where there are delays in winding up an estate, and they find themselves acting as curator. RICS … [Read more...]
Separating Out the Chattels and Fixtures
One might have thought the distinction between chattels and fixtures was obvious at first sight. After all, Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines chattels as ‘personal possessions that are not land and buildings’. While elsewhere it says fixtures are ‘fixed to a house … … [Read more...]
What Are the Five Stages of Hoarding?
Compulsive hoarding, or hoarding disorder as you prefer is a mental state where a person finds it difficult to get rid of possessions. The outcome is these items pile up in their home, regardless of whether they are of real, little or no value. This article explores the … [Read more...]
How Does Compulsive Hoarding Begin?
Clients often ask us how does compulsive hoarding begin. Did my aged relative fall into it after their partner died, they ask, or is it something that happens with aging? We found an interesting post at Very Well Family we decided to share. Because hoarding, believe or … [Read more...]
Things to Remember with RICS Property Valuations
A property’s value should reflect the present worth of the future benefits of owning it. This influences key factors including raising finance, taking adequate insurance, and distributing shares of a deceased estate in turn. Therefore, this is not something we should … [Read more...]
UK Property Boom to End This 2023
There’s a lot to be said to listening to what Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyor members (RICS) say about property prices. Rather than absentmindedly hearing what estate agents think. That’s because RICS bases its opinions on hard facts, when it says the UK … [Read more...]
Valuing Chattels and a House for Probate
You have to get permission (solicitors call it probate) before you can wind up a deceased estate. The UK government will not provide this permission, until any inheritance tax due is settled. HMRC calculates this duty based on the value of the estate. This post … [Read more...]
Chattels and Inheritance Tax Implications
The UK inheritance tax rate stands at a whopping 40% of all value over £325,000. It is therefore not difficult for a property owner to exceed this amount in the South of England. There’s no sign of this rate falling any time soon, making the implications of chattels and … [Read more...]
Should Hoarders See a Doctor?
Hoarded homes can be a real challenge when we arrive to do a RICS property valuation for a deceased estate. Sometimes we can’t even reach into some spaces to do a proper assessment. More than a few clients ask us whether they made a mistake to look past the evidence. … [Read more...]