Residential Property

“A tailored, speedy and efficient service. PSW provide client support across a full range of residential property issues”.

We offer a complete and personal service in all aspects of residential conveyancing to make your property transaction as stress-free as possible.

Our specialist residential property lawyers will work closely with other departments across the firm to provide advice on matters such as property litigation and tax planning so that we can provide you with a complete solution.

Our leasehold enfranchisement specialists will offer sound advice to both landlords, tenants and management companies on all aspects of enfranchisement, including lease extensions, and freehold purchases.

We will also advise property management companies, often in conjunction with cross disciplinary teams to provide the necessary legal advice to ensure compliance with their obligations.

Our team of lawyers have excellent relationships with a number of estate agents and surveyors both in and outside of London and we are on the approved panels of major banks and building societies which will assist with the smooth running of transactions.

We also benefit from close associations with a number of leading Independent Financial Advisers who will always provide assistance to our clients if required.

Residential Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS)

To provide our clients with even greater reassurance of our high professional standards and competence, we are accredited with the Law Society’s recently introduced Residential Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS).

In order to achieve CQS accreditation, law firms must undergo a rigorous assessment - a process which examines policies, processes and people, and is an annually renewable accreditation.

Our clients can be assured of a specialist and bespoke conveyancing service tailored to their needs and requirements. Our integrity and efficient working practices are guaranteed.

Buying Abroad - Considerations

After another cold, wet summer and with dull economic prospects at home, you might be thinking of buying a property abroad or even making a permanent move to foreign climes. If so, as well as it being essential to take independent and high quality legal...

Fact Sheet - Disclosure to Mortgage Lenders of Incentives for Buyers

This fact sheet provides guidance for those involved in the development of residential properties whether new builds or conversions of existing properties . On 1 September 2008, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) introduced new procedures in...

Selling Your Property at Auction

In recent years, increased mobility and growing rates of home ownership have meant that ever-larger numbers of people nowadays inherit properties from relatives who lived many miles away. Similarly, many buy-to-let properties have been purchased in areas...

Mortgage Exit Administration Charges - Consumer Redress

When you ask for a redemption statement from your mortgage lender, it can come as an unpleasant surprise to see an additional charge termed ‘mortgage exit administration fee’ (MEAF), which, while it will be shown in the mortgage offer letter, is...

Reform of Empty Rates Relief

To incentivise the use of empty properties, the Government introduced several changes to empty rates relief which became effective in April of this year. Prior to 1 April 2008, all empty properties benefitted from reduced business rates of up to 50% of the...

Land and Buildings - Opting to Tax From 1st June 2008

Supplies of land and buildings (e.g. sales and lettings) are usually exempt from VAT which means that no VAT is payable on these transactions, however this also means that the supplier cannot recover any VAT on their expenses. To enable the supplier to...

Residential Service and Administration Charges

This is a summary of the regulations brought in on 1 October 2007 under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 (“the Act”) by The Service Charges (Summary of Rights and Obligations, and Transitional Provision) (England) Regulations 2007...

New Requirement Of Residential Landlords to Tell Their Tenants When They May Withhold Service and Administration Charges Demanded From Them

Section 153 of the Commonhold & Leasehold Reform Act 2002 requires landlords of residential properties to include with demands for service charges a summary of their tenants rights and obligations in relation to those, and similarly in relation to...

Remedies for abortive property deals

The House of Lords’ ruling in the recent case of Yeoman’s Row Management Limited and another v. Cobbe [2008] All ER (D) 419 has restricted the legal remedies available for those situations where a property deal is abandoned by one party before...

Leasehold Enfranchisement

Applications to Leasehold Valuation Tribunals - when does time start to run for making an application for a Vesting Order? Where a claim for leasehold enfranchisement has been brought and the Landlord and proposed purchaser (known as the “nominee...

The Duties of Mortgage Lenders

The instability in the financial markets recently means lenders are taking a tougher stance on lending and repossessions are rising. When mortgage arrears are serious and/or there is a breach of the mortgage covenants, the lender will usually seek an order...

Tenants' Right to Buy

The right of secure tenants to buy their homes was established under the Housing Act 1980 . The original rules have subsequently been amended, however, mainly owing to a growing number of abuses of the system. These mainly involved property speculators who...

Timeshares - Good or Bad?

Although there are millions of contented timeshare owners throughout the world, the timeshare industry has certainly had a chequered history. On the one hand there is the promise of golden weeks in the sun or on the slopes at a fraction of the cost of buying...

Current Laws on Electrical Work

Since 1st January 2005, all electrical work carried out in dwellings has had to comply with Part P of the Building Regulations and be carried out by a person who is competent to do the work. All work which involves adding a new circuit to a...

When Can I Access My Neighbour's Land?

Disputes between neighbours can cause a lot of unpleasantness. If you need to deal with your neighbours over matters related to land or property it is always advisable to try to get things done in a friendly way, whilst at the same time making sure you know...

Selling Your House and Land: Tax Tips

Most people buy and sell the property they live in without any thoughts about tax (other than, perhaps, Stamp Duty Land Tax). However, there are some circumstances in which selling the property you live in can cause tax problems. Some of the main ones are: ...

Phone Masts - The Law and Practice

Although a very recent technological development, the mobile phone is considered a necessity by many people in the UK. However, despite their popularity, the communication masts on which the networks depend have been regarded, since their inception, as...

Who Can Go Where?

In England and Wales, the law relating to access to land position is governed by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 . In England and Wales, the public have the right to access what is called 'access land' – which is mainly registered common...

How Do We Set Up a Commonhold?

Commonholds are a relatively new way of holding property and will be attractive to some flat owners who wish to take the ownership and management of the freehold of their block of flats out of a management company. They may also become increasingly common in...

Leaseholders' Right to Manage

Since 2003 qualifying leaseholders have had the right to take over the management of their block of flats from their landlord, under provisions made under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 . Leaseholders who take advantage of this right have more...

Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 And Commonhold And Leasehold Act 2002 Collective Rights to Enfranshisement

The Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, amongst other things, brought in the right to enfranchisement on a collective basis. The Act enables residential long leaseholders of flats to act together to purchase the freehold of their...

Leaseholds Rights to Manage Under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002

1. Introduction 1.1Before the passing of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 (“the Act”) the only right that tenants of long leasehold flats had to manage the day to day running of their flat and the block in which it was situated, was...

Leaseholds - A Health Warning

Leaseholds are, by their very natures, wasting assets and need to be approached with some care. If you have owned your lease for two years, you can make the Landlord grant you an additional 90 years and cancel any ground rent you may be paying. Many...

Accessing Your Own Land

Prior to the introduction of revised procedures (set out in regulations under section 68 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 , which came into effect in July 2002), people who had to cross common land in order to reach their homes were sometimes...

Leaseholds' New Rights to Manage their Flats Under The Commonhold and Leashold Reform Act 2002

Until the passing of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 tenants of long leasehold flats had little opportunity to wrest control over the day to day management of their flats and block except where they could prove that their landlord was not...

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