Don’t worry we are still here for you at O’Hara Solicitors.
We are continuing to work during the pandemic, however we have some slight changes.
Please feel free to email us at any time as per usual. However, please do not visit our offices unless you have arranged a meeting. To protect our staff, we ask that you do not attend a prearranged meeting if you or anyone in your household is displaying symptoms of Covid-19 or has done so in the last 7 days. Our offices are still open, but with reduced hours of Mon-Fri 10am-3pm to ensure the safety of our staff and clients.
On arrival we will take your temperature and ask you to sanitise your hands. We will also ask for your contact details in-line with our Covid Track & Trace database as per government guidance.
We hope that you and your loved ones stay safe and well during these unprecedented times.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Reduced rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) will apply for residential properties purchased from 8 July 2020 until 31 March 2021 inclusive.
If you have already exchanged Contracts with completion before the 21st March 2021 on a property £500,000 or below AND you are not liable to the higher rate tax then we will refrain from sending any SDLT payment to the Inland Revenue. We shall in due course send you an amended Completion Statement to reflect the SDLT Holiday.
Please may we ask for your patience while we deal with the huge administration of paperwork that this announcement has caused. Amended Completion Statements will follow in due course.
Please note, the Land Registry are currently experiencing delays due to the coronavirus pandemic. This is having an impact on our timescales regarding property registrations, however we will keep as up to date as possible on the progress of your registration. You can find out more at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/stamp-duty-land-tax-temporary-reduced-rates
Moving House
A quick guide to moving home safely during this period has been created to help you understand what you, and anyone involved in your move, will need to do to provide a safe environment for everyone.
This includes:
- the estate or letting agent
- the property lawyer
- the photographer
- the energy assessor
- the valuer or surveyor
- the removal company who move you
- someone helping you organise your mortgage
This guidance is aligned with the UK government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy and advice on home moving during the COVID-19 outbreak.
There’s no need to pull out of transactions, but where possible you should delay moving to a new house.
You should work with the other parties to agree a delay or another way to resolve the matter if:
- you’ve already exchanged contracts, and
- the property is currently occupied
If you’re moving into a vacant property, you can continue with the transaction. However, you must follow the government’s guidance on moving house.
We will continue to support you through the sales process and will help with the current difficulties of completing transactions.
Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about moving to a new house.
Read the government’s guidance on moving house during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
