Property

Beware The Spanish "Land Grab"!

Many holiday programmes, magazines and newspapers have published articles about "Land Grab" in Spain. Headlines and quotes from angry property owners describe how they are being forced to hand over all or part of their land to the local government.

The Conveyancing Purchase Process

The Conveyancing Sales Process

Moving Home Checklist

Checklist of contacts to notify of your move

Environmental Searches and Contaminated Land Issues

There may be a risk to health, saleability or value if the land your house is built on or land in the vicinity is contaminated and these issues should be considered before committing yourself to any purchase.

Local and Planning Searches

People are often under the misapprehension that the local search will reveal every proposed development on land neighbouring or adjoining the property you are buying. This is not the case. The search is only against the property you are buying.

Plan Search Plus

The Plan Search Plus report is a user friendly report providing valuable and useful information.

Property owned in joint names - but in what proportion?

In the recent high profile case of Stack -v- Dowden the House of Lords (England's highest court) made a significant ruling on the subject of cohabitants property rights.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

From 1st December 2003 ALL land transactions have been subject to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).

Are you living together and buying a property?

Could the government's new shared equity schemes help you get on to the property ladder?

Following the announcement in the Budget, on 12th March 2008, of two new types of shared equity schemes, the residential property team at Ashfords give an overview of the schemes - shared ownership and shared equity - which the Government hopes will help more people get on to the property ladder.

Energy Performance Certificates

The first phase of the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) England and Wales) Regulations 2007 came into force this month imposing further regulatory requirements on commercial property owners.