Residential Property
Our team is fully aware that buying or selling a home is one of the most exciting and important, yet potentially one of the most stressful, events in your life. We therefore work hard to make sure that every transaction is as stress free and efficient as possible, with our team ensuring you receive regular updates.
Our service begins and ends personally, with each transaction being completed by a conveyancer personal to you, so you know who you need to talk to from first instruction to completion. We are aware that your house is your home, but it is also an investment. Thus, very importantly we will ensure, from a legal point of view that you end up buying a property that you will be able to sell.
Our team can act on a wide range of transactions ranging from residential, buy-to-let, high net worth and land development, to transactions involving a limited company.
Providing you with a first time buyer's guide
- Reviewing your contract, title documents and searches
- Acting on behalf of your Lender and advising you on your mortgage, if any
- Reporting to you on your obligations as a homeowner and advising you on all rights, reservations, restrictions and covenants that may affect the property
- Exchanging contracts
- Completing the transfer of funds
- Submitting your Stamp Duty Land Tax return and processing your payment of any stamp duty due
- Completing the registration of the property into your name
Providing you with a sale guide and assisting with completing the necessary paperwork to be provided to the buyers’ solicitor
- Drafting all of your contract paperwork and issuing this to the buyers’ solicitor
- Dealing with any enquiries raised on your behalf
- Attending to repayment of your mortgage, if any
- Exchanging contracts
- Completing and transferring the sale proceeds
- Sending the buyer all of the original deeds and sale documentation
See our guides on buying and selling property for an overview of a typical conveyancing process involved.
Some of the work will be carried out by a team of Paralegals or Property Executives who do much of the day to day work on cases. Although they are not legally qualified, they have between 2 and 18 years' experience, have received extensive training within our firm and work under the direct supervision of a solicitor with at least 5 years post qualification experience.
Jake Mowatt, our lease extension expert, can assist by providing the below:
- An initial review of your lease together with a comparison of extending your lease by private negotiation or under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 (LRHUDA 1993)
- Assessing your eligibility for a lease extension under the statutory route, and advising on the advantages and drawbacks of utilising either the statutory or private negotiation routes.
- Advising you on the procedure, timescales, and the likely costs involved
- Assisting you with extending your lease and registering the new lease at the Land Registry
- Seeking your mortgage lender’s approval (if applicable) to the lease extension and handling their additional requirements.
Lease extensions negotiated privately with the landlord/freeholder are handled by our Residential Property Team. Applications for tenants to acquire the freehold under the LRHUDA 1993 are handled by our expert Commercial Property Team. Our team can assess whether you qualify to extend your lease or enfranchise and we can advise you as to the different routes available.
The Team have a wealth of knowledge and experience in this sector, and can assist you with the following:
- New-build freehold and leasehold sales
- Housing Association New Build Home Buy (shared ownership) matters
- Right to buy
- Right to acquire
- Assignments (re-sales of existing shared ownership properties)
- Stair-casings
- Transfer of equity.
The team can also assist with property matters such as re-mortgages, transfer of equity, and matrimonial transfers.
For advice on property disputes, we have a dedicated Property Disputes Team who can assist you with a whole host of disputes.
If you are moving home, have you thought about updating your Will? Our Wills, Trusts, & Probate Team can assist.
What our clients say
I just wanted to let you know how impressed I have been with Stephen Wilson. He dealt with my case swiftly and confidently and showed a great understanding of the whole process. He put me at ease with an incredibly important situation and I would recommend his services to others.
We just wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you for all the brilliant quality work you did for us, marked with accurate communication skills and amazing response and resolution times. We genuinely could not be any happier for your help in purchasing our first property, your guidance made what would have otherwise been a stressful process, feel like straightforward procedure. As such, in the future we will unreservedly be recommending your and Leathes Prior’s services.
Emily Whelband has provided fantastic help and service throughout our purchase, not only working thoroughly, but also quickly and efficiently. Emily and Leathes Prior are highly recommended and we would not hesitate to use again. Many thanks.
I just wanted to say a big thanks to you both for all your work over the past six months. This is the second time I've used Leathes Prior to move house and both times the service and advice has been excellent. Thanks so much again - we really appreciate everything you've done.
Throughout the whole process of buying our home, Lily Beel and her team were amazing. Everything was done with great care. The communication was perfect and they handled everything so well. We are so happy that she was in our corner. If you get Lily as your solicitor, just rest assured everything will go smoothly.
My partner and I used Leathes Prior on recommendations from others and I can honestly say I would never use another solicitor. We cannot thank Rachael and Angela enough in helping us to purchase our first house together. To say they are thorough is an understatement! The whole process was done and dusted in less than 3 months. Their professionalism is second to none. Thank you so much for your hard work. It was amazing to be able to move in just before Christmas :)
My wife and I have bought over 15 properties in the course of the last 50-odd years, and have dealt with many firms of solicitors, both in those transactions, and in my professional capacity. Our experience of Leathes Prior compares more than favourably with any professional firm with whom we have dealt over all that time. Lily Beel has been thoroughly professional at all times, and never ceased to be supportive and cheerful, despite operating in such a frantically busy period. She was often in touch well after normal working hours, and clearly prioritises getting the job done efficiently whatever the personal effort. I would also add that Lily is very well supported by Kate Newson, who has been a pleasure to deal with. Between them they have ensured an excellent experience for us.
We are extremely grateful for all your help, advice and support during both of our abortive house purchases and for your speed and efficiency in completing. After such a stressful few months, it was very reassuring for us to know that we were in such good hands. We would not hesitate to use you again or to recommend you to friends and family.
I have now used Rachael Hughes twice and she was amazing both times! Being in the property industry myself, I can't recommend her service enough.
Thanks for all your efforts during recent sale and earlier purchase. We certainly won’t hesitate to use you again and make recommendations to friends/family.
I have been assisted by Joanna Allen, Stephen Wilson, and Eleanor Chapman for the purchase of my first property. They did an amazing job, everything went very smoothly, and the process was completed pretty quickly. Joanna went above and beyond in keeping me updated, and very supportive anytime I needed some advice.
We would like to thank you so much for dealing with our house sale/buy. We have bought many houses over the years and we can certainly say you have provided us with the best service. You always answered our emails & telephone calls very promptly. We have been 100% satisfied with the service you have provided us!
Thank you all so much for your hard work, I wouldn't ever use anyone else. We were very happy with the service you have given us and are so happy how quick and easy it been for us. It’s really taken a lot of the stress away from us, thank you again !!!!
Nadine made us both feel so at ease with the process and we knew we were in safe hands. She has been brilliant. She has constantly kept us informed at every point. She has responded to all of our questions and queries so promptly. We have found the app great as this has shown us where we are in the process and what was left to do. We have trusted Nadine completely with every step of our sale and purchase. She will always be the first person we think of to recommend to family and friends and we will most definitely use her again when the time comes to sell and buy another property. We would just like to say thank you to her and make sure that she knows how much we appreciate all of her hard work.
I have worked with Rachael Hughes on 4 or 5 properties now. She is outstanding, she is prompt, her due diligence is excellent, and she is intelligent and thoughtful. She is always helpful, never forgets who the customer is, and is a delight to do business with.
We wish to give our appreciation of the outstanding service you gave to us for these two conveyances and without your professional drive we would not have completed on the date we required. Furthermore you carried it all out with good humour and at times you were like a terrier with a bone, all to get the required results. We would have no hesitation in recommending your services.
Thank you very much for all your help. I would particularly like to thank you for your understanding and compassion, and negotiations, regarding my recent, and very badly timed health problems. And I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you to anyone requiring a very good conveyancer; It has been a complete pleasure throughout...no fuss, no dramas, just quiet efficiency. I've been very impressed.
Many thanks for your assistance during the sale of the property. You have made the whole transaction very easy. We now plan to sell the property we are currently in. At the necessary stage I will be in touch to ask for your assistance once again. Until then keep well. Many thanks for all your help.
Joanna and Stephen did an amazing job. The transaction was quick and seamless. Joanna is fantastic, very supporting, reassuring, and patient. Can't explain how grateful I am for their service.
Dan and I truly want to thank you for your hard work and persistence in our first home buy. We have since recommended you to all of our friends as we found you incredibly prompt and professional, we want to say everything on our end went incredibly smoothly. We both wish you the very best and success for all your future. We will also continue to use you - as your service was first class.
Just wanted to send a quick email to say thank you for all your help. Thankfully the re-mortgage went through seamlessly and no further hiccups along the way. I know we use yourselves (as a company) as our solicitor, but I would personally use your services again if required. You were very efficient, friendly and knowledgeable & above all, helped in my hour of need. Many Thanks again!
Thank you very much for all your hard work and patience throughout the stressful process. I feel very fortunate to have instructed you as my solicitor.
I really could not praise or recommend Leanne enough for her hard work, transparency, quick communication and kindness during my conveyancing process. I was a first-time buyer and the first conveyancing firm recommended to me were an absolute disaster who I no longer trusted. I was completely fed up with the stress of buying when I was given a recommendation to instead go with Leathes Prior, specifically Leanne, and I’m so glad I did. Leanne was absolutely brilliant from start to finish. She is friendly, quick to answer any and all questions and extremely knowledgeable. The seller’s conveyancing firm were not particularly communicative and my completion date looked in jeopardy but Leanne went above and beyond to make sure it happened on the date I had requested and took the time to reassure me when I felt like giving up! I am now happily in my new home and forever grateful to Leanne for her work. Thank you!
Just a quick thank you to confirm we got the keys on Friday and have started ripping up the carpets and getting the paint brushes out already. Found the whole process smooth and yourselves at Leathes Prior very helpful, efficient and easy to deal with. Thanks for your help with everything.
Thank you so very much for all your hard work, you've been absolutely amazing! I wish all solicitors were like you! I've been absolutely overwhelmed at how brilliant you've been with everything. Thank-you so much as well dealing with my hundred emails asking if we can exchange yet! You've been truly the best, I will always recommend you to family and friends!
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