Conveyancing Solicitors

Courtyard Conveyancing Solicitors 

Residential Conveyancing

The sale or purchase of your home is probably the largest financial transaction you will ever undertake. Initially, it may seem to be a daunting prospect with numerous forms to complete and terms with which you may not be familiar. 

Courtyard Conveyancing Solicitors understand this and will aim to make the process painless and straightforward. It is our policy to deal with your matter quickly and efficiently to ensure that you complete your move with as little stress as possible.

Courtyard Solicitors are approved by the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme. The CQS provides a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices. Membership establishes a level of credibility for firms with stakeholders such as regulators, lenders and insurers as well as residential homebuyers and sellers.

You may be obtaining a mortgage in connection with your purchase. If this is the case, then generally, your mortgagee will also instruct our firm to act for them which helps to speed up the transaction and saves you costs as you will then only have to pay one set of solicitors fees.

If you are buying the property jointly with someone else, we will also be able to advise you as to whether or not you should purchase as joint tenants or tenants in common; if you should have a trust deed and whether it would be advisable to make a will and we are able to prepare this for you.

Work Involved in Residential Conveyancing

The work involved in residential conveyancing will depend upon whether it is a sale or purchase. Please read our page on conveyancing procedure for full details.

Fixed Fees For Residential Conveyancing

Property sale or purchase price Fees
Up to £1,000,000 £1,000 + VAT
£1,001,000 - £1,300,000  £1,300 + VAT
£1,301,000 – £1,600,000 £1,500 + VAT

In addition VAT at the standard rate is payable on fees and does not include the cost of disbursements the likely costs of which are set out below:

Purchases of new build properties are subject to a £150+VAT surcharge for the additional work involved.

Typical Disbursement Charges:

  • Local Authority Environment & Drainage Searches - c. £350+VAT
  • Where the transaction involves electronic transfer of monies on purchase or sale each transfer will be subject to a £30 +VAT additional charge to cover the work involved.
  • Land Registry Fees - £20 -£1,105 dependent upon the nature of the transaction. (see Law Society page on Buying a home)
  • Land Registry Searches - £6 per search.
  • Official Copy Land Registry Entries - £12 

Typical Timescales:

The timescales of the conveyancing process cannot be guaranteed as it will depend on matters beyond our control. Typically however, it will take between 4-6 weeks, from receipt of papers to exchange of contracts, and then a further two weeks between exchange and completion. 

 

Our Conveyancing Solicitors can help with any of the following:

Conveyancing - Auction Sale and Purchases

Courtyard Conveyancing Solicitors can advise you whether you are buying or selling property at auction.

Whilst such sales and purchases are mainly the same as a non-auction transaction, there are some differences.

For example, once your bid at the action has been accepted, contracts are then exchanged immediately and the completion date is fixed in accordance with the terms of the auction contract.

If selling by auction, it is advisable for you to discuss the transaction before the property is actually put into the auction. There may be matters affecting the property either physically or in its legal title which may call for the drafting of special clauses to be added to the general ones which are used by the auctioneers.

If buying at auction, it is advisable for you to discuss this before you bid so that we can check the title to the property and make sure that there is nothing which would adversely affect either the property or its value. 

We also need to check both the general and special conditions in the auction contract and advise you on these so that you are in a position to bid knowing exactly what you are buying.

For initial legal advice, call us on 0208 946 9466 or email us

Assured Shorthold Tenancies

Courtyard Solicitors can advise both landlords and tenants on these and prepare them quickly, often on the same day, to ensure the quick letting of your property.

In relation to existing tenancies, we can advise on the clauses in the agreement, on the service of notices to terminate, the requirements for landlords in relation to the holding of the rent deposit and the penalties for not dealing with this in the correct way and both party's rights relating to breaches of the agreement.

For initial legal advice, call us on 0208 946 9466 or email us

Assured Shorthold Tenancies

Courtyard Solicitors can advise both landlords and tenants on these and prepare them quickly, often on the same day, to ensure the quick letting of your property.

In relation to existing tenancies, we can advise on the clauses in the agreement, on the service of notices to terminate, the requirements for landlords in relation to the holding of the rent deposit and the penalties for not dealing with this in the correct way and both party's rights relating to breaches of the agreement.

For initial legal advice, call us on 0208 946 9466 or email us

Equity Release Schemes

These are schemes provided by a number of financial institutions whereby they agree to give you either a lump sum, monthly payment or a mixture of both with this being secured by way of a mortgage over your home.

Our department has dealt with these matters over a number of years and can explain in detail exactly what is being offered to you and the pros and cons of it so that you can make an informed judgment as to whether this course of action is in your best interests.

If you decide to proceed Courtyard Conveyancing Solicitors will be able to deal with all the conveyancing aspects of the transaction.

For initial legal advice, call us on 0208 946 9466 or email us

Option Agreements

Courtyard Solicitors can advise on and prepare all forms of option agreements for example:

  • An option to purchase subject to the obtaining of appropriate planning consent;
  • An option to purchase shares.
For initial legal advice, call us on 0208 946 9466 or email us

Licences for Alterations and Licences to Assign

Residential leases generally have clauses preventing alterations or additions being made to the property without the consent of the landlord.  We can advise as to whether or not the proposed works do or do not constitute an alteration or addition.

If consent is in fact required, then such consent usually has to be in writing.

Courtyard Solicitors can help you with this by either preparing the licence or ensuring that it does cover the work you want to undertake.

For initial legal advice, call us on 0208 946 9466 or email us

Licences for Alterations and Additions and for Licences to Assign

Residential leases generally have clauses preventing alterations or additions being made to the property without the consent of the landlord. We can advise as to whether or not the proposed works do or do not constitute an alteration or addition.  If the lease does contain an absolute prohibition then the landlord can refuse consent or only agree if you make a payment to him.

If consent is in fact required, then such consent usually has to be in writing.

Courtyard Conveyancing Solicitors can help you with this by either preparing the licence or ensuring that it does cover the work you want to undertake.

For initial legal advice, call us on 0208 946 9466 or email us

Mortgaging and Re-mortgaging of Residential Properties

Courtyard Conveyancing Solicitors are on the panels of the major banks and other financial institutions and will therefore often also be instructed to act for them as well as acting for you. 

Courtyard Conveyancing Solicitors know their requirements and can therefore progress your matter swiftly.

Courtyard Conveyancing Solicitors can advise you on the terms of the mortgage you are taking for example:

Whether or not there are penalties for early redemption

Whether there are changes to the interest rate if you default on your payments

Whether the obligations under the mortgage extend to other debts which you may have with the lender

For initial legal advice, call us on 0208 946 9466 or email us

Conveyancing Solicitors for Sales and Purchases

The sale or purchase of your home is probably the largest financial transaction you will ever undertake.

Initially, it may seem to be a daunting prospect with numerous forms to complete and terms with which you may not be familiar. 

We understand this and will aim to make the process painless and straightforward.

It is our policy to deal with your matter quickly and efficiently to ensure that you complete your move with as little stress as possible.

You may wish to look at our web page dealing with the main steps in a conveyancing transaction (purchase/sale) for an overview of what happens.

You may be obtaining a mortgage in connection with your purchase. If this is the case, then generally, your mortgagee will also instruct our firm to act for them which helps to speed up the transaction and saves you costs as you will then only have to pay one set of solicitors fees.

If you are buying the property jointly with someone else, Courtyard Conveyancing Solicitors will also be able to advise you as to whether or not you should purchase as joint tenants or tenants in common; if you should have a trust deed and whether it would be advisable to make a will and we are able to prepare this for you.

For initial legal advice, call us on 0208 946 9466 or email us

Shared Ownership Schemes

We are able to give clear and simple advice both on the procedures involved and also act for you in connection with the purchase and any related mortgage.

The purchase of your home is probably the largest financial transaction you will ever undertake.

Initially, it may seem to be a daunting prospect with numerous forms to complete and terms with which you may not be familiar. We understand this and will aim to make the process painless and straightforward. It is our policy to deal with your matter quickly and efficiently to ensure that you complete your move with as little stress as possible.

If you are buying with someone else, we can advise as to whether or not you should buy as joint tenants or tenants in common and if it would be appropriate for there to be a trust deed.

Shared Ownership Schemes provide that the owner of the property, who is often a Housing Association, will grant to you a lease of part of the property and rent the remainder to you.

Initially, you will take a specific percentage share of the property which you are leasing. This is usually in 10% or 25% tranches. The Scheme provides that at a later date, when you are financially able to do so, you can buy additional shares of the property with the intention that eventually you will own 100% of the property.

There are often restrictions on who you can sell the property to or the manner in which such a sale can be effected. It is common for you to be required to offer to sell the property back to the Housing Association or to somebody they nominate before placing the property on the open market.

There is generally a fixed period for a housing association to decide whether they wish to buy the property or nominate someone to do so. If they do not do this within the fixed period then it is usual for you to be able to sell it. The exact terms as to how this procedure works will be set out in the lease of the property which will be granted to you.

We will advise you as to exactly what clauses are included in your lease and there effect.

When you wish to buy additional shares in the property, you will need to contact the Housing Association. They will then carry out a valuation of the property.

The purchase price which you pay for the additional share is based on the then current market value and not on the value of the property as at the date when you made the original purchase.

This process is known as the "stepping provisions".

The government has been very keen to extend this form of buying property, for example introducing provisions whereby shared ownership properties are only sold to key workers.

It is usual for the purchaser to obtain a mortgage for the part of the property which they are going to lease.

They will then pay normal mortgage payments on this part and pay rent to the landlord in respect of the part which they have not bought. In addition it is usual to pay a form of service charge to cover the cost of the landlord insuring the property and, in some cases, maintaining the main parts of the property including common parts if it is a flat.

Following the purchase of a property, it is always advisable to consider making a will and we can advise you on this and prepare it for you.

For initial legal advice, call us on 0208 946 9466 or email us

Conveyancing Solicitors for Right to Buy

If you rent a property from a local authority or housing association you may have the right to buy your home at a discounted price.  If you sell the property within five years of buying it you will have to re-pay a proportion or all of the discount which you received depending upon how many years you have owned the property.  Also sometimes there will be an obligation to first offer the property for sale to the local authority or housing association.

Having dealt with "right to buy" purchases for many years Courtyard Conveyancing Solicitors are able to offer you comprehensive advise on this.

For initial legal advice, call us on 0208 946 9466 or email us

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