Buying or selling a home will be one of the most important transactions in your life – it could also be one of the most stressful. Choosing the right conveyancing solicitor is key to the successful sale or purchase of your home.
That is where we come in.
As experienced conveyancing solicitors, we will thoroughly check the title of the property at the outset. This means that any potential problems are highlighted in the initial stages – saving you time and money. Hopefully everything will be fine, but this investigation can on occasion uncover problems such as boundary definition disputes, or building work or extensions that have been carried out without planning permission. We are here to make sure that there are no surprises and when there are, that your best interests are looked out for.
Home Information Packs
All homes going on the market for sale are no longer required to have a Home Information Pack (HIP), but you do still need to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
What does this mean?
HIPs were suspended by the Government in May 2010. A house can therefore be placed on the market for sale without a HIP. However, to comply with European legislation, an Energy Performance Certificate will still be required. The EPC has to be available within 28 days of the house being put on the market.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
When you buy a property, you have to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) if the price is more than the statutory amount, which is currently £250,000. The amount of stamp duty is paid on the whole amount of the purchase price. The basic rates are calculated on the scale below. However, for First Time Buyers, buyers of a second property and commercial purchases, these rates are different, and you should contact one of our conveyancing specialists for more information about these rates.
- Up to £250,000 – Zero
- The next £675,000 (the portion from £250,001 to £925,000) – 5%
- The next £575,000 (the portion from £925,001 to £1.5m) – 10%
- The remaining amount (the portion above £1.5m) – 12%
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