Residential conveyancing

Moving and setting up home

• First-time buyers
• Freehold
• Leasehold
• Upsizing
• Downsizing
• Shared equity/Shared ownership
• New homes
• Part exchange

At Morrisons our philosophy is on quality, not quantity. We undertake all types of conveyancing transactions across England and Wales.

Executive properties for ultra high net worth sellers and buyers

Our specialist service for Ultra High Net Worth buyers and sellers is focused on discretion, efficiency and quality. Our many years of experience in this sector mean we are well-placed to meet the needs of Ultra High Net Worth individuals.

Property investments

We assist in the following areas of property investment:

• Buy-to-let
• Second homes
• Holiday homes
• Tenancy agreements

Investment in residential property is still seen by many as a secure and stable medium-to long-term investment.

We can assist not only with the sale or purchase of your investment property, but also with any ancillary matters such as assured shorthold tenancy agreements and holding tenants’ deposits (we have an account with the Deposit Protection Service).

Our Dispute resolution department can deal with problem tenants by evicting them, or by helping claim unpaid rent.

Protection of assets

We can assist asset protection in relation to:

• Legal charges/Mortgages
• Declarations of Trust
• Co-ownership

It is important to ensure that interests in property are correctly reflected, and this can be achieved in many ways, depending on the nature of the interest.

For example, it is quite common now for parents to lend a deposit to their children to help them get onto the housing ladder. In such circumstances, they can protect their investment through a legal charge which ensures their contribution is legally recognised.

An alternative to a legal charge is a Declaration of Trust. A non-owning investor may want to share in any profit on future sale, or an unmarried couple may want to record their contributions to the purchase and share the proceeds proportionately on sale.

Our lawyers will ensure that you are given appropriate advice in such potentially complex areas.

Re-mortgages

We can undertake the legal work for you in repaying the existing mortgage and completing the new mortgage in accordance with the lender’s requirements.

Auctions

Bargains can often be picked up at property auctions, but it is important that legal advice is sought beforehand.

An auction contract is often weighted heavily in favour of the seller, and is binding as soon as a successful bid is made. A 10% deposit must usually be paid before leaving the auction room, and completion is generally fixed for 28 days later.

Before you make your bid, our solicitors can check the terms of the contract and ensure that the title is acceptable for mortgage purposes.

If you are thinking of selling a property at auction, we can prepare the contract and associated pack of documents for you. The provision of a well-organised, comprehensive pack can make the difference between success and failure in selling a property at auction. We also deal with the legal aspects in completing the sale following the auction.

Relocation

We have extensive experience in dealing with property moves following the relocation of an employee.

This may involve acting for the employer (usually through a relocation company) on a Guaranteed Price relocation scheme. With this type of scheme, the employer in effect purchases the property from the employee to enable the employee to move quickly knowing he or she has a guaranteed price for the property.

Morrisons has experience in dealing with such schemes, including acting for blue-chip companies.

We can also act for employees in the sale of a property into a Guaranteed Price scheme, or for employees who are selling and buying independent of a relocation scheme with the financial assistance of their employer.

Leases

We can help with:

• Grants of Leases
• Deeds of Variation
• Leasehold Enfranchisement including lease extensions and collective freehold purchases (outside statutory procedure)
• Support Conveyancing for Leasehold Enfranchisement inside statutory procedure

Leases are complicated documents which are required when the property involved is a flat or maisonette. It is essential when preparing a lease that it sets out clearly and correctly the rights and interests of the landlord and the tenant.

At Morrisons we have the necessary expertise to prepare new leases for landlords, and to check new leases for buyers who will become the tenant.

It is vital that when a leasehold property is purchased, the lease is carefully checked to ensure that it is not defective. At Morrisons the lease will always be checked by an experienced Partner or Lawyer who will advise you if it is thought that the lease may not be adequate and of the possible remedies. This may involve a Deed of Variation, or sometimes an insurance policy can be taken out to cover some defects. Deeds of Variation are almost invariably asked for by the tenant. They can be costly because the landlord is under no obligation to agree to change the terms of an existing lease, and will often charge a premium for doing so. 

Typical lease terms range from 99, 125 or 999 years. Once the term remaining on a lease approaches 80 years, questions will start to be asked about the need for the term to be increased, because a lease is a depreciating asset. At Morrisons we can advise landlords and tenants in relation to the procedures when the issue of a lease extension arises.

Transfers of property within the family

We can help with:

• Transfers of equity
• Gifts of property
• Transfers and legal charges pursuant to consent orders in matrimonial proceedings

Properties can be transferred between family members for a number of reasons. For example on death, divorce or separation, for legitimate tax planning purposes and so on. Transfers of property following divorce or separation will normally involve one party buying out the other’s interest, while transfers following death or for tax planning purposes will often involve gifts of one person’s share in a property to another member of the family.

Whilst the transfer or gift of a property within the family might seem a sensible and straightforward exercise, it can be fraught with difficulty. It is essential that expert advice is sought to ensure that a property transfer does not result in unforeseen and adverse consequences, such as avoidable taxes or other charges

At Morrisons we have experts within the Residential conveyancing department who can undertake the property transfer for you. We can also call on the expertise of our Wills, estates & tax planning department to provide advice on tax implications, wills, the impact on the wider family and other important matters.

Property and the elderly

We can help with:

• Equity release schemes
• Home reversion schemes
• Retirement homes

Equity release and home reversion schemes provide possible solutions for elderly people who want to remain living in their home, but who are struggling to survive financially on their limited income. These schemes can provide a lump sum or regular income, and sometimes a combination of both.

Equity release schemes involve giving a mortgage over your property, while home reversion schemes involve giving all or part of your property away and taking a tenancy in return.

Anyone thinking about entering into such a scheme must give very careful consideration to it before doing so. These schemes involve relinquishing a large part of the control over a property to a third party and can result in a substantial, if not complete, depletion of your estate.

At Morrisons we have experience in dealing with the most popular schemes that are available, and can advise you fully of the implications of entering in to these types of schemes.

We also have considerable experience in dealing with retirement properties and schemes. Retirement schemes often involve financial penalties when the property is sold, usually the payment of a specified percentage of the sale price to a landlord. We will advise you fully in relation to these penalties, and any other factors that ought to be drawn to your attention, when we act for you on the purchase.

Council house purchases

We can advise on all aspects of purchasing a council house from the local authority.