Conveyancing fraud is now believed to be the most common type of cybercrime in the legal sector and can result in unwary homebuyers losing tens of thousands of pounds. It is a particular issue for first time buyers, because they are likely to be less...
Buying land can be an attractive investment, especially where there is the possibility to develop property on the site or otherwise improve it to increase its value. However, to ensure a good return on your investment, there are a number of key issues you...
The majority of flats in the UK are sold on a leasehold basis, meaning you are not buying the property, but rather the right to occupy it for a fixed period of time. The freeholder retains ownership of the building and their rights and responsibilities, as...
When remortgaging a property you own, there are various checks and searches that need to be carried out, as well as other important legal and financial details that need to be handled correctly. This process is referred to as conveyancing, the same as the...
Conveyancing is the name for the legal process of buying and selling property, including leasehold property, as well as carrying out the necessary checks and transactions involved in remortgaging or extending a lease. Getting your conveyancing handled...
Changes to tax relief for UK landlords being phased in between 2017 and 2020 mean that many buy to let rental properties may no longer be able to generate a reasonable profit for their owners. As a result, many buy to let landlords are likely to be...
Many flats in the UK are sold on a leasehold basis, as are a number of other properties. If you are thinking about buying a leasehold property, it is important to understand how this differs from buying a freehold property and the key things you need to...
The exchange of contracts is one of the final stages of buying or selling a house and makes the transaction legally binding. Many people find this process stressful, as it is generally the last point at which a property transaction may go wrong. In this...
Getting your conveyancing right is essential when buying or selling property. It ensures that the sale is progressed properly, that all your legal obligations have been correctly taken care of and for buyers, that you do not end up with any nasty surprises...
When buying or selling a home, you will need to use a conveyancer or conveyancing solicitor to take care of the legal side of things for you. This ensures that no important details are missed and protects you from any unpleasant surprises during the property...
When a single person owns a property, that person is the sole proprietor, or sole legal owner. If two or more people own property together, they are co-owners. There are two types of property co-ownership: tenants in common and joint...
Moving house can be exceedingly stressful at the best of times. A house move with children, particularly young children can be even more challenging. Our top tips for moving house with children gives some practical suggestions to ensure your move goes...
Renting out a property can be a great source of income. But if you’re just starting out as a landlord, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the responsibilities it entails. To protect your legal interests and of course to keep the...
If you’re looking to buy a property, you will almost certainly have heard the terms ‘freehold’ and ‘leasehold’ being mentioned. They are important definitions to be aware of - essentially, freehold and leasehold are terms for...
No one can deny the unique charm of a period property. It’s why they’ve maintained their enormous level of popularity over the decades: they’re full of character, and owning a precious piece of our architectural history can be a great...
There’s a lot to be said for setting your sights on a brand new house. Energy efficient, designed for modern living, rooms fitted out to your specification; a new-build certainly has its advantages.
Here are our top tips for making this move as smooth as those freshly plastered walls.
In recent years a particularly nasty scam has cropped up. It has on some occasions brought financial disaster for unwitting people who are in the process of purchasing a property, with some even losing hundreds of thousands of pounds to fraudsters. The scam...
Putting your foot on the property ladder may seem daunting. After all, buying a home is one of the most significant financial commitments you will make in your life. Getting everything right first time is absolutely essential; but if you’re a first...
The beginning of the new financial year marked the day that major tax changes affecting Buy-To-Let investors came into force. When the tax changes were originally announced in 2016, landlords expressed concern that it would restrict their ability to turn a...
Have your children flown the nest or perhaps your current property has far too much space. Downsizing could be for you. Downsizing provides numerous advantages, especially for those who make use of the available equity to travel, start their own business or...
In the 2015 Budget, former Chancellor, George Osborne announced that tax relief available to private landlords would be severely curtailed. Tighter restrictions were also imposed on the wear and tear allowance that landlords currently enjoy. Suddenly,...
Whether it is a shop, factory, office space or warehouse, a solid commercial premises lease is an essential prerequisite to the ongoing success of many businesses. If your lease is nearing the end of its term and you wish to remain a tenant, it pays to seek...
Taking steps towards buying your first home is a hugely exciting time, not to mention the wonderful achievement of making that significant investment in your future. Many people dream of the day they can buy their first property, but when you finally have...
For those new to buying or selling a home, the whole process of Conveyancing can seem rather mysterious. At Bird & Co, we like to make things simple. That’s why we’re compiling a series of blogs over the coming weeks to answer some common...
When you’ve made the decision to move on from your current home, you’ll know there’s a lot to get organised. This can be daunting, especially if you’re searching for your next home at the same time. But even if you’re pressed...
Property Searches – you might already be aware that these are part of the conveyancing process, but perhaps find that you have questions about what they are, or what they entail? After all, they’re usually not something you encounter until you...
As we all know, technology is changing the way we live our lives at a rapid pace. But did you know it is even changing the way we buy and sell houses? Around 80% of property hunters now begin their search on the web, and approximately 1% of all UK internet...
We all know moving house is no small feat. At Bird & Co, it’s our job to take the legal process of a house transaction through to a successful completion. There’s a lot of work to do, which does take time. But aside from all that, there are...
Acquiring the keys to your new home can be an exciting time and calls for celebration. You’ve worked long and hard to get to this place; years of saving, months of careful planning and weeks of anticipation in the run up to exchange and completion of...
If you’ve started looking into buying or selling a property, it’s likely that you’ll have heard a couple of different terms: conveyancing solicitor, licensed conveyancer… same thing, right? Not quite. These are two types of legal...
