The Legal Aspects of Buying a House: What Should You Know?

Buying a house is one of the more stressful experiences of adult life, though the reward is absolutely worth the hassle. With property values soon to sink, more people will be taking their opportunity to hit the market and get on the property ladder. But as well as the endless dealings with mortgage advisers and haulage companies, there are some key legal pieces of the puzzle, that it is crucial you get right.

Getting a Solicitor

Indeed, the various legal aspects to completing a house purchase all-but necessitate the hiring of a solicitor. Conveyancing solicitors are legal professionals that specialise in property law, and whose services revolve around the handling of a given property purchase’s legal steps. We will examine some of the more pressing legal elements in due course, but first – a word of warning.

It is crucial that you source a solicitor with credentials to manage the legal purchase of a property, for a number of reasons. Hiring a sub-par solicitor might get you legally across the ‘finish line’, but might also saddle you with a problem-laden property; conveyancers also organise in-depth property surveys to discover the true state of a given property ahead of sale. A conveyancer’s failure to flag up structural issues, let alone properly unearth legal elements like property boundaries, could amount to professional negligence.

Knowing this, then, what are some of the leading legal aspects to a property purchase that render a quality conveyancing solicitor important to your house-buying endeavour?

Seller Verification

First, the fundamental legality of the transaction needs to be established and proven. Who is the seller, and do they have a prior track record of property sales? Are they named on the title deed for the property, and do they have a legal right to sell the property? The property may be being sold via a limited company, for example if it was part of a large rental portfolio; what of the company’s legality?

Land Permissions

Certain plots of land or geographic regions might be beholden to regulation, which could prevent you from carrying out some essential renovation plans you had in mind. One common way in which this can surface is through a restrictive covenant, which is baked in to the title deeds for the property. Restrictive covenants are typically private agreements between prior landowners, that prevent certain changes from being made to the land – such as the building of new infrastructure.

Restrictive covenants are enforceable even if some time has passed since its writing into the title deed. It is possible to render a covenant invalid, but this can be an uphill struggle if neighbours to the land still benefit from said covenant.

Title Documents

Speaking of title documents, it is also essential that said documents are pored over and scrutinised with respect to information held on the property by other agencies. The title documents will outline exactly what is being purchased, from the number of bedrooms in the property to the square-footage of the home and its surrounding land. A conveyancer would check the Land Registry for discrepancies in the plot, as well as to ascertain ownership.

EAN Content

Content shared by this account is either news shared free by third parties or sponsored (paid for) content from third parties. Please be advised that links to third party websites are not endorsed by Estate Agent Networking - Please do your own research before committing to any third party business promoted on our website. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You May Also Enjoy

Home and Living

Expert Review: Pantego Electrical Services – Reliable and Affordable Solutions

When it comes to maintaining safety and comfort in your home or business, high-quality electrical work is crucial. For residents and businesses in Pantego, reliable electrical services are available through licensed professionals who prioritize customer satisfaction. In this review, we explore Pantego Electrical Services and highlight why Darby Electric Service is a trusted choice for the community.…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Storytelling for Homeowners: Producing Content That Connects Emotionally

In the quick-paced global of online facts, information by myself is rarely sufficient to encourage or have an effect on. Whether you’re a home owner sharing your protection adventure, a blogger covering indoors traits, or a real estate professional assisting customers discover their dream homes, storytelling is the important thing to building belief and emotional…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

This Summer’s Extreme Heat: What It Means for UK Gardens

The UK has been enjoying plenty of warm sunshine during the early weeks of the 2025 summer season. In predictions made by the Met Office for the three-month outlook there is plenty more hot weather to come. According to the government agency, the UK’s meteorological summer is twice as likely to be hotter than normal…
Read More
Breaking News

No-fault evictions by bailiffs up 8%

New figures show that in the 12 months since Labour came into Government, no-fault evictions by bailiffs in England have risen by 8%. Labour has pledged to end no-fault evictions under its Renters’ Rights Bill, which is going through Parliament. According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Justice there were 11,402 repossessions by…
Read More
Breaking News

Leasehold Lettings Under Pressure: Landlords Blocked from Improving Flats

New research from LRG (Leaders Romans Group) reveals that leasehold structures are creating a growing barrier to progress in the rental sector, limiting upgrades, pushing landlords away from flats, and lowering tenant confidence in how buildings are managed. According to LRG’s most recent Lettings Report, 58% of flats let by landlords are leasehold. Among these,…
Read More
Breaking News

234% surge in demand for air-conditioned homes as UK buyers brace for hotter summers

Following the many heatwaves the UK has experienced this summer, searches for homes that are for sale with air conditioning have more than tripled in a year (+234%).1 According to recent research, just 1.2% of homes for sale in England feature air conditioning, which adds around 2.5% to a property’s overall value.2 As air conditioning…
Read More