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UK House Buyers Glossary - C

This page of our online a to z glossary is for UK house buyers terms beginning with the letter 'C'.

• Capital gains tax - a government tax which is levied on the profits from the sale of a house (and other assets). It does not apply to every sale.
• Capped-rate mortgage - a mortgage which has a maximum limit set for the interest rate.
• Cashback mortgage - these give a cash payment to the buyer when the mortgage transaction is completed (i.e. the mortgage starts).
• Cash buyer - anyone who does not have to sell a house before buying another.
• Casement Window - a type of window which opens on hinges or pivots.
• Cavity Blocks - pre-cast concrete blocks which are shaped to form a cavity wall.
• Cavity Wall - a hollow wall which is formed by two parallel masonry walls, separated by an air gap to form damp proof insulation.
• Chain - a number of people who are dependent on one another's house sale and purchase before they can complete on their own. The longer the chain is, the more likely it is to be broken.
• Chase - the groove which is cut in a masonry or plaster for pipes or electric cable ducts.
• Commission - the percentage of the selling price which will paid to the estate agent by the seller when the property is sold.
• Completion date - the date the property transaction is completed and the property changes hands from the seller to the buyer.
• Conduit - the pipe or casing through which electric cables are run. Usually made of plastic - older houses may have metal ones.
• Contract - the agreement to buy and sell a property that becomes binding upon both parties when the buyer and seller exchange contracts.
• Conveyancing - the legal processes involved in buying and selling property.
• Course - a horizontal layer of bricks or slates throughout a wall.
• Cove - a surface that is continuously concave. A quarter-circular hollow moulding.
• Covenant - a promise in the title deeds of a house which requires the owner to undertake or to abstain from specific things.
• Current account mortgage - this is a flexible mortgage in which the outstanding balance of your current account is offset against the outstanding balance of your mortgage.