Which personal possessions are worth more than bereaved families may appreciate? When someone dies they tend to focus on the emotional side of their loss. Practical matters, such as arranging the funeral and dealing with probate, often follow quickly. During probate … [Read more...]
English Probate Property Sales: A Practical Guide for Families
Losing a close family member or friend can be one of life's most difficult experiences. Understanding English probate property sales can be a challenge too, unless you understand the principles. We wrote this article to help you understand how probate affects you in … [Read more...]
What Counts as a Personal Chattel When Somebody Dies?
What counts as a personal chattel when somebody dies, is everything they owned, could touch and move, and could go with them when they moved elsewhere on earth. When they died they obviously could not take them with them. Their family now faces an important question: … [Read more...]
Five Stages of Hoarding: Warning Signs For Friends
The five stages of hoarding are more than simply collecting possessions at an accelerating rate. We are speaking here of a recognized mental health condition. Hoarding that we see in action during our hoarder home clearances. Hoarding is a progression, not just … [Read more...]
How Leasehold Reform Could Affect the Value of Your Property
The UK Government's proposed reforms to leasehold ownership, are among the most significant changes to England's property market in decades. We share our thoughts, as professional valuers, regarding how we believe this leasehold reform could affect the value of … [Read more...]
Hoarding In The Context of Society and Culture
Compulsive hoarding, stripped down to the basics, is an unstoppable urge to collect and hang on to possessions. However, this hoarding does occur in isolation. To understand it fully we need to view hoarding in the context of society and culture. We share our own … [Read more...]
What Probate Means and How to Apply For It
Losing a family member or a close friend is tough enough, without having to deal with the paperwork. Yet many ordinary people suddenly find themselves appointed as the executor of a deceased person's estate. One of the first legal terms they encounter is ‘probate’. … [Read more...]
Premium Council Taxes On Second Homes
English local councils have been able to charge premium council taxes on second homes, since 1 April 2025. Although some second homes are exempt from the premium. Councils may charge a council tax premium of up to 100%. In other words, up to double the normal bill. … [Read more...]
Helping a Friend Who Is a Hoarder
Do you know someone who lives in a home full of clutter? Well then, you may be feeling worried, frustrated, even helpless. You may also be wondering how to improve life for your friend. Helping a friend who is a hoarder does not come easy. This is because hoarders … [Read more...]
How To Value Your Chattels in England
Knowing how to value your chattels in England correctly is important. It can even be critical if you need the information for insurance, or planning how to distribute your estate after you pass on. Your personal movable possessions could include furniture, jewellery, … [Read more...]
