Residential property

Purchasing a property involves much more than just agreeing a price and arranging a mortgage. Before you become legally committed to the purchase, it is essential to establish exactly what you are buying and whether there are any legal matters that could affect your ownership, use of the property or future ability to sell it.

Our solicitors can manage the legal process from the moment your offer is accepted through to completion and registration of your ownership at HM Land Registry. We review the contract documentation, investigate the legal title, raise appropriate enquiries with the seller’s solicitors and arrange the searches relevant to the property.

We also deal with your mortgage lender’s legal requirements, report to you on the key aspects of the transaction and explain any matters that require your attention before exchange of contracts. Once you are ready to proceed, we coordinate the exchange and completion process, arrange the transfer of purchase funds and deal with the necessary post-completion Land Registry applications.

Whether you are buying a freehold or leasehold property, our focus is on ensuring that you understand the legal position before you commit yourself financially.

Selling a property can feel equally demanding, particularly where your sale is connected to an onward purchase or where a chain of transactions needs to complete within a particular timeframe.

At Aston Bond Law Firm, we work to prepare the legal documentation promptly and respond efficiently to enquiries raised by the buyer’s solicitors. Where the property is leasehold, we can liaise with landlords, managing agents or management companies regarding the information and sale packs required for the transaction.

We can also deal with existing mortgages secured against the property, including obtaining redemption information and arranging for the lender to be repaid following completion. Our team will prepare the necessary transfer documentation, coordinate completion and ensure that the transaction is dealt with accurately from beginning to end.

Clear communication is especially important during a property sale. We therefore aim to keep you updated on progress and explain any issues in plain English rather than leaving you uncertain about what is happening or what comes next.

Residential conveyancing can differ considerably depending on whether a property is freehold or leasehold.

With a freehold property, you will generally own both the building and the land on which it stands. Leasehold ownership is different because you own the property for the period specified in the lease and may have additional obligations relating to ground rent, service charges, maintenance, insurance or management arrangements.

When dealing with a leasehold sale or purchase, our solicitors carefully consider the relevant lease documentation and the information supplied by the landlord or management company. We can raise enquiries concerning matters that may affect the transaction and make sure the appropriate documentation is dealt with as part of the conveyancing process.

There are many reasons why you may decide to remortgage a residential property, including moving to a different lender, changing your mortgage terms or restructuring your finances.

Our Residential Property team can deal with the legal requirements associated with a remortgage, liaising with your existing and new lenders and handling the necessary property documentation. We can obtain redemption statements, review the requirements of the new lender and complete the relevant Land Registry work following completion.

Where a transaction is being financed through a mortgage, we also ensure that the lender’s legal requirements are addressed as part of the overall conveyancing process.

At Aston Bond, we can also act for property developers, investors and companies with residential property portfolios.

We have experience dealing with residential development projects ranging from individual sites to larger developments. These transactions can involve different considerations from a standard residential purchase or sale, particularly where strict commercial deadlines, funding arrangements or multiple properties are involved.

Our team can assist with property acquisitions and disposals, transfers, development-related transactions and matters involving limited company ownership. By taking a commercially minded approach, we aim to identify potential legal obstacles at an early stage and work towards practical solutions that support the wider transaction.

Property transactions can sometimes become delayed because information is missing, enquiries remain unanswered or several different parties need to coordinate their work. Although not every delay can be avoided, proactive communication can make an important difference.

At Aston Bond, we believe clients should understand what is happening with their transaction rather than having to continually chase for updates. We therefore place strong emphasis on clear communication, careful preparation and early identification of potential problems.

From carrying out property searches and raising enquiries to arranging exchange, completion and registration, we manage each stage with your objectives in mind. Where transactions must meet particularly demanding timescales, we work closely with the other parties involved to help progress matters as efficiently as circumstances allow.