Re: capital gains tax
You can hold on to your first house for 12 months after you move to another and not be charged CGT if you sell within those 12 months. I believe you can rent within those 12-months without attracting CGT (but you will have to pay tax on rent). If you sell after 12 months and rent out in the meantime, the proportion of time you own the house after that 12 month period will be used to pro-rate the amount of CGT you pay on a subsequent disposal. The calculation is on a straight line basis (so total years of ownership divided by period as PPR + 12 months is CGT-free). The value of the property when you rent it out or after the 12-month period after you move out is irrelevant - the calculation is done based purely on period of residence (+12 months) vs. period that it is an "investment" property. There are numerous threads on this topic so do a search if you need further info.
Sprite