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Class MA allows Class E commercial buildings to be converted to residential use without full planning permission. Here is what it is, how prior approval works, and why the 56-day rule matters.
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All six Class MA eligibility criteria must be met before you can apply. This guide walks through each one — use class, vacancy period, listed status, Article 4 directions, and more.
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The 56-day rule covers the council's decision window — but the real timeline from instruction to decision is closer to 10 to 14 weeks. Here is what happens at each stage and what can slow things down.
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In most cases yes — using Class MA permitted development rights, without full planning permission. Here is what qualifies, what does not, and the six things to check before you commit.
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Tax relief sitting inside the walls of commercial buildings, routinely left unclaimed. Often worth tens of thousands of pounds. Here is how it works and why most buyers miss it.
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Build costs, planning fees, finance costs, and contingency — with real-world figures for 2026 and a worked appraisal showing exactly where the numbers go.
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Base rate is unchanged at 3.75%, yet swap rates have hit a 12-month high and lenders have repriced twice in a month. The Bank now expects inflation to pass 4%. Here's why buy-to-let is struggling and commercial conversion still works.
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Three MPC members voted to raise rates at the July meeting. Inflation crept back to 2.9%. Mortgage approvals are at a two-and-a-half-year low. The rate story has changed — here's what it means for property investors.
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The BoE held for the fifth time. The 5-year SONIA swap rate sits above base rate. 48% of landlords are reducing or exiting portfolios. Where the smart money is moving — and why.
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Planning permissions down 10%, construction insolvencies at record levels, and a chronic housing shortage. Why commercial-to-residential conversion is the standout opportunity right now.
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Two MPC members voted to raise rates. Mortgage approvals are 10% below a year ago. A mid-year scorecard across every major property strategy — and where the opportunity is clearest.
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The Renters Rights Act went live on 1 May. 48% of landlords are reducing or exiting. Buy-to-let purchase loans fell 14.9%. What the first weeks of the new regime reveal.
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One MPC member voted to raise rates — the first time in this cycle. The Renters Rights Act lands 1 May. Two seismic shifts arriving at once, and what they mean for your portfolio.
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CPI jumped to 3.3%, the MPC voted unanimously to hold, and February's near-cut evaporated fast. The spring market is subdued. Where things stand heading into Q2.
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Four of nine MPC members voted to cut rates to 3.5%. One vote kept us at 3.75%. What this near-miss tells you about where rates are heading — and when.
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Rates stalled at 3.75%, mortgage approvals at a two-year low, and the Renters Rights Act months away. Andrew's read on where property investment is heading in 2026.
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Andrew challenges the property industry's obsession with finding your "why" — and makes the case that passion, not purpose, is what actually keeps investors moving forward through the hard days.
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