70+ years
of legal expertise

70+ years
of legal expertise

Category: Conveyancing

What is the registered charge on a property?

If you take out a mortgage to buy your home, your lender will almost certainly register a charge against it at the Land Registry. The charge does not transfer ownership. However, it will give the lender important rights, including the ability to sell your home if you default on your loan. “When borrowing to buy

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Pros and cons of buying a home with friends or family

The property market in our part of the world appears to be rebounding after a lull in activity resulting from the disastrous Mini Budget of September 2022 which sent interest rates soaring. Although good news for many, this could make it more difficult if you are looking to get onto the property ladder. If affordability

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Quick guide to house sales terminology

The world of property sales can often seem like a labyrinth of complex terms and jargon. Navigating through this linguistic maze is crucial for both seasoned homeowners and first-time buyers. Eve Wilson, Head of our Residential Property team, has put together a quick guide that sheds light on the terms commonly encountered during house sales.

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Selling a property quickly to get rid of a mortgage

Rising interest rates have dominated the headlines recently, with the Bank of England estimating a million households could see their monthly mortgage repayments increase by £500 over the next three years. If you are affected, you may even be thinking about giving up your property so you will no longer have the burden of a

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How to deal with cracks and subsidence in a property

If you are a homeowner, or looking to buy, the very word ‘subsidence’ may fill you with dread or visions of sinkholes which hit the newspaper headlines. According to the British Insurance Brokers Association, subsidence is a common issue affecting an estimated 20 per cent of homes in some way. But what exactly is it,

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Buying a home for your retirement

The United Kingdom’s population is aging rapidly and, fortunately, higher living standards mean most of us will enjoy a long and active retirement. As we grow older our housing needs often change, and if you are approaching retirement you may have already started to think about your options. In this article, Enza Sole, a residential

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Transferring property to your children

Nearly every other first-time buyer receives some financial assistance from their parents. And the scale of that helping hand from the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ is staggering: something like £15 billion a year in the UK, according to the Institute of Fiscal Studies. But cash gifts or mortgage support are not the only ways

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Property fraud: Steps to protect yourself

A solid building, made of bricks and mortar, seems an unlikely target for thieves. For most of us our homes evoke a powerful sense of security; ‘safe as houses’ as the old saying goes. But the facts tell a different story, as there has been an exponential growth in property fraud which now accounts for

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The knotty subject of Japanese knotweed

Furniture designer Jonathan Downing this week successfully sued the former owner of his house after discovering a large amount of Japanese knotweed in his garden. The previous owner of the property, not far from us over in Raynes Park, Surrey, was ordered by Central London County Court to pay damages plus Mr Downing’s legal costs.

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Q&A: Local land charges

It takes between eight and 12 weeks on average to complete the purchase of a new home. Many factors determine how long the conveyancing process will take. However, solicitors frequently cite the local land charges search as a cause of delay. But what are local land charges, and why do they matter? Leanne Reid, a

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