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Residential Property Solicitors in Shropshire and Herefordshire

 

The Residential Property Solicitors at Lanyon Bowdler have been helping clients throughout Shropshire, Herefordshire, The Midlands and North Wales with residential property transactions, and a wide range of other legal matters in relation to property, for many years. The Residential Property Solicitors at Lanyon Bowdler are friendly and approachable and can provide specialist legal support whether you are selling, buying, transferring or financing.

Herefordshire & Shropshire's Leading Residential Property Solicitors

As well as being easy to talk to, our Property Lawyers are experts in their field and members of the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme.

The team can guide you through the complex process of buying or selling a property, keeping you up to date from start to finish - from the contract for purchase and your mortgage documents, to dealing with the estate agent, lender, insurers, and mortgage broker.

The specialist solicitors here at Lanyon Bowdler perform hundreds of transactions each year across the whole spectrum of properties and in different parts of the country. We have an excellent, in-depth knowledge of the property market, so you can be assured you are in safe hands.

Lanyon Bowdler is a forward-thinking law firm and was one of the first to introduce fixed fee pricing options, along with service level guarantees.

What Is The Process for Buying or Selling a Property?

The legal and administrative work involved with transferring ownership of a building or plot of land from one owner to another is called conveyancing. The three main stages of the process are as follows.

You may find it useful to listen to our podcast, here we talk about the common questions we're asked by people looking to buy a property, along with the steps they take to secure a smooth transaction. Please note the SDLT thresholds mentioned in this podcast have since changed.

Agreeing The Sale

First, all the details pertaining to the property and its owner(s) are declared and verified. Then, the contract of sale is drawn up and a provisional completion date will be agreed. The final completion date will not be fixed until contracts are exchanged.

At this stage, the solicitor working on behalf of the buyer will also carry out various searches on the property to help verify the information provided by the seller. If the property is being bought with a mortgage these searches are a legal requirement.

The buyer would have a survey carried out on the property at this stage.

Exchange Of Contracts

Once all the searches have been completed and any outstanding issues have been resolved, contracts can be exchanged. If the buyer is using a mortgage the solicitors will need to see a copy of the mortgage offer in writing first. On exchange of contracts, the buyer will transfer a deposit to the seller’s solicitor which is usually 10% of the purchase price.

The solicitor working on behalf of the buyer will carry out additional searches at the Land Registry to make sure all mortgages or other charges on the property are known about, and to prevent the seller registering any new financial charges on the property between exchange and completion.

Signed contracts are exchanged between both parties and everyone is now legally committed to the sale.

Completion Of Sale

The buyer must provide their solicitor with the funds to cover all taxes, legal costs, and the balance of the purchase price at least one day before the agreed completion date, to ensure funds are cleared in time and there are no delays.

The seller’s solicitor will pay off the mortgage and any other costs incurred as part of the sale. Any money left over will be transferred to a bank account in the seller’s name.

The deeds will now be sent to the buyer’s solicitor so they can be registered as the new owner.

The specialist Residential Property Solicitors at Lanyon Bowdler have vast experience carrying out residential property transactions, so you’ll be in safe hands no matter what your situation is.

How Our Residential Property Solicitors Can Help

In addition to handling the sales and purchases of residential properties, our expert Residential Property Solicitors also provide legal services for a wide range of other property related legal matters including:

First Registrations and Reconstitution of Title

If a property was purchased before 1 December 1990, and there has not been a mortgage on it since, it may not be registered with the Land Registry.

If the property you are buying is not registered, or if you want to get a mortgage on an unregistered property you already own you will need to register it first. In some cases this can cause delays so it is important to be aware of, and seek help from an experienced property lawyer as early in the process as possible. If you already own an unregistered property there are many good reasons to register it now anyway.

Speak to our residential property team today for more information on voluntary registrations.

Transfer of Equity

Adding or removing someone from the title deeds of a residential property is commonly done following a marriage or divorce, or for strategic reasons to do with inheritance tax liabilities or capital gains tax allowances.

The equity in a property is the difference between its current market value and any outstanding mortgage.

For example, if the property is valued at £300,000 and the outstanding balance of the mortgage on it is £150,000, the equity in the property is £150,000. Provided that the mortgage lender approves the request, equity can be transferred quite quickly. The person transferring their share will be released from their mortgage obligations.

If you are thinking about changing the co-ownership status of your property, there are many important factors to consider depending on your unique circumstances. An experienced Property Lawyer at Lanyon Bowdler will be able to advise you on the best course of action.

Change of Ownership - Transfer of Title

If you are thinking about transferring a property to someone as a gift, possibly to reduce inheritance tax liabilities in the future, speak to one of our specialist Property Lawyers for advice today.

There are lots of potentially unforeseen implications of transferring ownership to someone else, so it’s important to draw on the experience of a property professional to ensure you have considered all of the potential circumstances and that your interests are protected.

Leaseholders Rights

When you buy a leasehold property you only own the rights to it for a certain time. At the end of the lease period, full ownership returns to the landlord.

The rules surrounding buying and extending a lease are changing so speak to a member of our residential property team for the latest information.

The Property Solicitors at Lanyon Bowdler have years of experience in matters concerning leaseholder’s rights and have represented clients in Shropshire, Herefordshire, North Wales and throughout the rest of the UK.

Shared Equity - Shared Ownership

Shared ownership schemes allow you to purchase between a quarter and three quarters of the property and pay rent on the share you do not own at a reduced rate.

Shared ownership or shared equity schemes are an attractive option for those who don’t earn enough to be able to buy the property outright.

Although it might appear straight-forward on this surface, it is important to make sure that you fully understand all the terms and conditions you are agreeing to in the contract.

One of the Residential Property Lawyers at Lanyon Bowdler will help you decide whether the agreement is the right one for you.

Right to Buy

The Right to Buy scheme makes it possible for tenants of council properties to buy their homes at a discounted price. Our team of expert residential property solicitors are here to help you understand everything you need to know about what can sometimes be a complicated process. We can help with the entire Right to Buy process from mortgages to conveyancing and future sales of a property acquired through the Right to Buy scheme.

Help to Buy

There are a range of government Help to Buy schemes designed to make home ownership more accessible. There are a variety of options under the scheme including:

  • Help to Buy ISAs
  • Shared Ownership Schemes
  • Equity Loans Schemes

Each of the different options have advantages, disadvantages, costs and legal implications, so it's vital that you seek advice from an experienced property lawyer to make sure the route you choose is the best option for your situation.

Buying a Property From an Auction

Auctions are often used to acquire a property at a more attractive price and reduce the time it takes to complete the buying process, but preparation is key. When the gavel falls the highest bidder is legally committed to the purchase, so you need to make sure you have done your research on the property in advance. We’d be happy to prepare a pre-auction report on any property you are considering as part of your due diligence before auction day.

New Build Property Purchase

A new-build property is one that has never been lived in. There are many advantages to buying a brand-new property, but there are some potential pitfalls too.

New build properties come with 10-year guarantees covering structural defects, but developers are regularly criticised for poor after sales care when it comes to snagging issues. It is important to instruct a solicitor with experience in dealing with developers, new build property contracts and the deadlines involved to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible and there are no hidden surprises.

The legal aspects of buying a new build property are more complex than any other type of property purchase because there are so many more things that can go wrong. Every aspect of the property, from planning regulations to the future site maintenance plan, must be checked carefully. You should check that the property has been built in accordance with the planning permission obtained, and that there are no restrictive covenants that could impact your enjoyment of the property.

Our residential property solicitors have extensive experience dealing with new build property purchases. We understand the complexities and will help you foresee any potential issues so that you are protected if any problems arise.

Purchase of a Repossessed Property

Buyers of repossessed properties are usually attracted by the opportunity to purchase at a reduced price, but there are some potential pitfalls with buying this type of property.

One of the main challenges here is that the seller, the prior mortgage lender, will be unable to provide any of the information you would usually expect to get from an owner. It is important to understand why the property was repossessed and whether there are any charges or notices still registered against the property.

These issues need to be dealt with before you become the legal owner of the property so that there is no negative impact on you in the future.

If you are considering the purchase of a repossessed property, talk to Lanyon Bowdler’s property law team today for expert advice.

Probate Sales & Purchases

Selling a property which is part of a deceased person’s estate can be challenging no matter what the circumstances, but especially if the people involved were close to the person who has passed away. Depending on the situation, there are some legal steps that you may need to take before the property can be sold and it is vital to get this right in order to avoid unnecessary delays.

Buying a property under probate can be a way of getting a bargain, but you may have to do some additional work to obtain all of the necessary information you need. The seller will be the executor of the Will and may never have lived in the property, so there will inevitably be some uncertainty around the information they are providing.

The process for probate property sales and purchases is not the same as normal conveyancing so you will need support from one of our solicitors who specialise in probate property transactions. Contact us today for further information.

Re-mortgaging

Unless you are getting a new deal from your current mortgage lender when you re-mortgage a property you are usually transferring the mortgage from one lender to another. Although there is a little less work involved than when you took out your original mortgage, you will usually still need a solicitor to carry out local authority searches, transfer the debt and register the new charges at the land registry office.

If you are looking for legal advice on re-mortgaging a residential property, contact one of our expert Property Lawyers today using the number at the top of this page, or leave your details using the enquiry form on this page and we’ll call you back.

Buy to Let

The process of purchasing a property as an investment by letting it to tenants is essentially the same as when you are buying it to live in yourself. However, a good buy to let property solicitor will also be able to advise you on tenancy deposit schemes and tenancy agreements as well as the wider issues of tax, regulatory compliance, deeds of trust, and inheritance. If you are considering a buy to let property purchase get in touch today to find out more about how we can help.

Residential Property Disputes

Our specialist Property Solicitors can help you resolve any disputes that have arisen between you and your neighbours or building contractors, striving to achieve an effective solution as quickly as possible. We understand how stressful it can be when something has a negative impact on the place where you live. Whether it is noise, nuisance, boundaries, planning or construction our residential property experts will support you through the process until the best possible outcome has been achieved.

Our Charges

The SRA requires us to give indicative prices for limited types of work, this includes residential property services. For more information please click here.

Contact Lanyon Bowdler's Property Lawyers

Please give us a call for a friendly chat about how we can help support your property needs, whether you're buying, selling, moving home, re-mortgaging or considering equity release.

Our Property Solicitors work to the highest standards and know the local marketplace inside out.

For more information about our services in your area follow the links below.  

Conveyancing Solicitors in Telford
Conveyancing Solicitors in Shrewsbury
Conveyancing Solicitors in Bromyard
Conveyancing Solicitors in Conwy
Conveyancing Solicitors in Hereford
Conveyancing Solicitors in Ludlow
Conveyancing Solicitors in Oswestry

There is no commitment or charge for our initial assessment, so please contact a member of the team or complete our online enquiry form on the right-hand side of this page.

By choosing Lanyon Bowdler for legal advice regarding your property needs or for our conveyancing services, you can rest assured that you have the best legal expertise on hand to ensure a smooth property transaction. We are committed to providing exceptional levels of client care and will work closely with you and other parties (estate agents, mortgage providers, leaseholders) to make things go at the pace you need, but also to ensure your rights are 100% protected and catered for at all times.

We have qualified Residential Property Solicitors in each of our local offices, so are able to act for clients all over Shropshire, Herefordshire, Mid and North Wales and across the Midlands (including Wolverhampton & Birmingham). As a leading regional full-service law firm, we can represent you wherever you live in England or Wales.  Talk to our property specialist solicitors today.

 

Testimonials

Fantastic law firm - used Lanyon Bowdler for conveyancing & for legal advice - both solicitors I worked with were effective & professional. Law firm were fast & responsive to queries & clear pricing. Would recommend.   

- Samantha, Via Review Solicitors

The staff of Lanyon Bowdler in Conwy guided me through the process of purchasing a cottage in Colwyn Bay area. The purchase was complicated by a covenant resting on the terrace. They expalined everthing very clearly and I felt suppoprted at all times.  

- D Stevenson, via Review Solicitors

Lanyon Bowdler provide a speedy, efficient and an all round excellent service. The staff were very helpful and friendly, replying to emails or returning calls promptly with all the information required.

- Tom, via Review Solicitors

Lanyon Bowdler were the driving force at getting our complex sales of two houses and the purchase of our next property finally completed despite the ineptitude and sluggishness of other solicitors involved. She kept our spirits up when we faced many difficulties with other parties. Thank you very much.  

- Brian & Dee Stone, via Review Solicitors

Stunning Support - best support during a very difficult time!

- Christian, via Review Solicitors

Managed to bring my purchase in line with my sale despite a time lag. Everything dealt with promptly and efficiently. Very Happy.

- Sandra Jones, Oswestry

Impressed by the excellent office space and customer relations. 

- Janet Preece, Bredwardine

Impressed by the speed of response and action. You are miles ahead of any other solicitor we’ve used.  

- Sally Hammill, Cheshire