Services > Family, Home & Personal Law

Residential property

Conveyancing

You may be buying your first home, moving property or purchasing a holiday home but the excitement for you, has to be tempered with the need to ensure any legal requirements and processes are dealt with correctly and thoroughly.

Our specialist team deal with all aspects of residential conveyancing, whether you are buying or selling a property. They are qualified in all aspects of property law and are there to help provide smooth passage for your transaction and just as importantly, to make sure you avoid any pitfalls; protecting your interests at every stage from making an offer to receiving the keys.

They will explain everything you need to consider before collecting information and documentation from you to set the process in motion. This includes explaining any costs and expenses involved, such as Stamp Duty, VAT, Land Registry fees and Search fees.

We also understand the stress that can be part and parcel of buying or selling a property. Our specialists will make sure you receive information and updates when you need them; keeping you in touch with progress and explaining what is happening as each stage is completed.

Remortgaging

Remortgaging is undertaken for a variety of reasons: switching to obtain a better deal or simply to increase the size of an existing mortgage to release funds to pay for home improvements, or other purposes. Whatever your reason for remortgaging, many of the same legal processes required to secure your original mortgage will apply on remortgaging.

An important aspect for many people remortgaging is that it is arranged quickly, especially if funds are required for a specific project. Our specialists will deal with the legal requirements as quickly as possible, while ensuring our first priority is always to protect your legal position.   

Buy-to-Let

If you are considering purchasing property with a view to using it for buy-to-let purposes, it is vital that you take expert legal advice. When you purchase a property for renting out you are effectively starting a small business by becoming a landlord. As a result you will need to find tenants, check their references, collect rent and deal with any tenant disputes.

Our specialist practitioners can guide you through your legal responsibilities. We can also draw up tenancy agreements, deal with tenant disputes, termination of leases (including “Notices to quit”) and if required, instigate eviction procedures.

Transfer of Equity

A Transfer of Equity often involves one co-owner of a property transferring his or her interest to the remaining co-owner or to a third party.  Often this becomes necessary within the context of a divorce or change in a personal or business relationship.

Proper care must be taken to ensure that all liabilities (sometimes including the responsibility to pay a mortgage) passes to the new owner or owners.

We can explain the benefits and potential problems of these arrangements and guide you through the legal process and subsequent registration at the Land Registry.

Tenancy and lease arrangements

We provide help and advice on all aspects of Landlord and Tenancy law, including preparation of tenancy agreements and arrangements to terminate leases. We also advise landlords on how to deal with difficult tenants and provide assistance for tenants whose landlords are acting outside the law, or ignoring their responsibilities to tenants. We can also provide assistance in resolving disputes for either party.  

HIPS

Whilst there are a few exceptions, it is now illegal to market a residential freehold or leasehold property for sale without first obtaining a Home Information Pack (HIP) which contains documents relevant to the sale and an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

We can assist you in obtaining a HIP quickly and at a very competitive fee. Please contact us first.

For advice on Residential Property contact:

St John Wright, Associate Solicitor