In her latest article, Leasehold Expert Niki Adkins outlines everything leaseholders need to know after the government announced the removal of the two year rule for extensions.
Communication is key when buying and selling property or moving home. Our expert property team are bright, modern and accessible.
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Everyone knows the pressures and uncertainties of buying or selling your home. Usually, it involves a chain of transactions which extend beyond your control.
We know the value of communicating with everyone involved, of acting quickly to avoid delays and, most importantly, in providing a professional and value-for-money service. Our team know that timing, negotiation and often a sense of humour all play a vital part in achieving a successful outcome for you.
Frettens underwent rigorous assessment by the Law Society to secure the Conveyancing Quality Scheme Accreditation (CQS), the mark of excellence for the home buying process.
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Call us for a quotation and free consultation
Every sale, purchase, lease or remortgage is different, and you will inevitably have queries and questions about your transaction. For this reason, we find it's always best to have a free initial call to discuss your needs and answer your questions.
Our Ask Us Team are on hand to talk to you Monday to Friday, 09:00 - 17:15.
Call us at your local branch in Ringwood or Christchurch, Dorset for a free initial conversation and a quotation. You can also fill our online enquiry form and we will call you back as soon as possible.
Alternatively, use our conveyancing calculator to see the estimated costs for your transaction.
Our residential property solicitors’ expertise
We have a team of specialist residential property and conveyancing solicitors on hand to guide you through your transaction. The hallmark of our service is our approachable nature and rigorous commitment to producing positive results for clients.
Our advice is practical and reliable and our overall service is efficient and proportionately priced.
We can handle all legal aspects of your conveyancing matter, whether you need help with buying, selling, extending your lease, or any other property-related matter. This includes:
- Protecting your interests at every stage of the transaction, such as reviewing title deeds, carrying out property checks, and advising on your rights, duties and obligations under legal contracts
- Promptly responding to your correspondence and proactively taking steps to progress your matter by chasing the other parties involved, including solicitors or other personal representatives, managing agents, freehold landlords, and banks
- Liaising with your mortgage lender if needed in relation to the financing of your property transaction
- Ensuring all legal documentation is drawn up accurately
- Making sure your transaction is registered correctly with HM Land Registry
We can help you with:
Buying a home
Buying a home may be the biggest purchase you will make in your lifetime. It is therefore essential that it is done right. Our conveyancing solicitors know the process inside out and can skilfully provide advice, guidance and support from the moment your offer is accepted to the exciting day you move in.
The most important part of the process is ensuring that your new home is suitable for you. This includes carrying out property searches and assessing title deeds and plans to check things like the property’s boundaries.
We will carry out these checks and searches meticulously and provide a detailed breakdown of our findings so you can make an informed decision about whether you’re happy to proceed with the purchase.
We will also provide advice about matters such as Stamp Duty (and first time buyer’s relief) and Government schemes such as Help to Buy or Shared Ownership.
We've created a guide to buying a home for first-time buyers (and anyone who wants a refresher on the process), which can be read here.
Selling a home
For whatever reason you are selling your home, whether you are upsizing, shifting an inherited property, or downsizing for retirement, we can provide a fast and reliable conveyancing service.
Our conveyancing solicitors will handle every legal aspect of the sale on your behalf, including:
- Helping you prepare information about the property to provide for the seller
- Liaising with your mortgage lender about the redemption of your mortgage
- Carefully coordinating your sale with your purchase (if you are buying a new home)
- Preparing and negotiating the draft contract with the buyer
- Dealing with exchange of contracts and collecting the deposit on your behalf
- Efficiently completing the sale, finalising the purchase payment, and ensuring the transfer is properly registered at the Land Registry
Remortgaging
There are many reasons why you might want to remortgage your home such as, getting a better deal on interest rates or to pay for home improvements. Remortgaging can save you a lot of money if done right. Our remortgaging solicitors can provide advice on the strict legal process you must go through and handle all legal documentation on your behalf.
Buying a new build property
Buying a new build property is a great option for many home buyers, particularly first time buyers who can take advantage of government schemes such as help to buy and shared ownership. Our new build conveyancing solicitors can handle the legal aspects of the purchase on your behalf, including:
- Checking the developer’s planning permission
- Checking the property’s access to services such as roads and sewage systems
- Liaising with your mortgage lender
- Handling the relevant legal documentation, such as the sale and purchase contract and the Land Registry transfer forms
Lease extensions
Buying a leasehold property can be more affordable than buying a freehold property , however, it is important to understand your rights as a leaseholder.
As the time on your lease decreases, your property may decrease in value. If the lease falls below 80 years your home could become very difficult to sell or remortgage. For this reason most leaseholders have the legal right to extend their lease once they have owned their home for at least two years. So long as you fulfil certain criteria, the landlord may be unable to refuse to extend your lease for a fair purchase premium.
We can help you negotiate a lease extension with your landlord, either using a formal statutory method or by starting voluntary negotiations. Our services includes serving formal notices, responding to the landlord’s counter notices, and applying to the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) if you cannot agree a purchase premium.
We can also provide advice on other leasehold related matters such as collective enfranchisement, freehold purchase of house, right to manage, and right of first refusal.