Buying and selling a property
You are entitled to claim only for legal fees associated with buying and/or selling your property.
These are:
- solicitors’ fees (if your solicitor has asked for up front payment, the University usually can't pay them directly. Please contact HR if you are experiencing particular problems with this issue)
- estate agents’ fees/surveyors’ fees
- all searches
- valuation fees
- mortgage arrangement fees (if paid as lump sum and not added to the mortgage)
- HIPS (Home Information Packs)
- stamp duty.
The University won't reimburse other fees.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of items which are either not payable due to Inland Revenue regulations or are not covered by our relocation policy:
- purchasing of new furniture or appliances for a new property
- any household bills
- deposit to reserve a property
- house cleaning
- mortgage arrangement fee if added to a mortgage
- taxi costs whilst looking for accommodation in the area
- commuting to work
- cost of food and any other expenses incurred whilst travelling to Cardiff
- council tax for the period in which your old property is empty prior to sale
- mortgage or housing subsidies if you are moving from a lower cost to a higher cost area
- interest payments for the mortgage on your existing home
- mail redirection
- purchase of children’s new school uniform
- compensation for any other losses such as giving up a part-used season ticket
- insurance, maintenance and security on your old property left empty awaiting sale
- penalties for redeeming a loan relating to your property
- auctioneer’s fees
- advertising
- disconnection and/or connection of services.
If the sale and/or purchase of your property falls through, you will be able to reclaim eligible expenses as long as you still change your residence within the specified time period. Please note that any expenses incurred during the first sale and/or purchase will be deducted from your total relocation allowance.
If you can't sell your property, it's unlikely that you'll be able to extend the amount of time in which you can claim relocation expenses, as there are Inland Revenue regulations governing the time limit for claiming relocation. If there are extenuating circumstances please contact HR to discuss your options.
The University doesn't operate a guaranteed sale price scheme for your existing property. If moving now will cause you to make a loss on the sale of your home, the Inland Revenue rules prevent the University from including this in relocation costings and so we won't be able to reimburse you.