Referrals

Solicitors are routinely required for property and business matters. It is paramount to ensure that legal matters are dealt with properly.

We highly recommend Protopapas Solicitors – www.protolaw.co.uk – specialists in Real Estate, Commercial and Litigation.

Tax Advisers play an important role in many aspects of business and property matters. We can recommend specialist Tax Advisers to assist in a variety of scenarios including:

• Company Taxation and Corporation Tax
• Capital Gains Tax
• Income Tax
• Inheritance Tax
• VAT
• Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)
• Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings (ATED)

It is very important that your accounting matters are kept up to date. If you run a business or have rental/investment properties, then you will require an accountant. Accountants play a crucial and consistent role in providing ongoing accounting services.  Accountants routinely handle matters such as your payroll, bookkeeping and prepare annual accounts for submission to HMRC.

If you are looking to fund the purchase of a property or otherwise require a business loan, then we may be able to assist you. We have various longstanding relationships with high street and private banks and are able to make introductions specific to your requirements. We can also assist with the opening of a UK bank account.

All businesses and properties require some type of insurance. This can range from buildings insurance, to professional indemnity insurance, public liability insurance and even health insurance. We can introduce you to relevant insurance brokers who will be able to assist you in obtaining necessary insurance policies.

Chartered surveyors are a staple within the property industry. It is routinely recommended that a buyer of a property obtains a property survey and valuation in order to ensure that the property is not defective and that they are paying the right price it for it. If you are obtaining finance to assist with a purchase, it is most likely that your lender will instruct a valuation of the property, at the very least. In most cases, the buyer must bear the cost of such valuation.

You will most likely need the following types of surveyors:

• Lease Extension and Enfranchisement Surveyors:  these are are specialist surveyors who advise on what premium you should be paying to extend your lease or purchase the freehold of your block. This applies if you are a long leaseholder of a residential flat and if you are looking to extend the lease or purchase the freehold of your block
• Building Surveyors: these are experts who advise on a broad range of property matters including the repair and maintenance of buildings
• Quantity Surveyors: these are experts in construction projects. They manage the costs of the construction from start to finish
• Valuation Surveyors: these are experts in valuing properties. They also often deal with business rates
• Party Wall Surveyors: these are experts in dealing with walls which adjoin two properties. If you intend to carry out work on or near to a neighbouring wall, you will need to appoint a party wall surveyor to negotiate and agree a Party Wall Agreement with your neighbour

We can refer appropriate surveyors for your property needs.

Architects undertake the following work (amongst other matters):

• Design buildings, property extensions and reconfiguration
• Produce construction plans and specifications
• Assist clients in obtaining planning permissions for various property related matters
• Assist clients in selecting contractors
• Project manage construction projects and are involved throughout most phases of a construction project
• Assist clients in obtaining construction bids and negotiating construction contracts
• Work with all necessary professionals such as engineers, solicitors and designers

We can refer architects for your property needs.

Structural engineering has always historically been categorised as civil engineering. However, over the years, modern development and progression in the field has led to structural engineering becoming its own separate discipline. Civil engendering is broadly and predominantly concerned with the evaluation, design, construction and preservation of projects against the elements. On the other hand, structural engineering ensures that the correct materials are used for the structure and construct of a project. If you are building a property or undertaking a significant extension or alteration to a property, you may well require the service of an engineer.

We can refer engineers for your property needs.

Planning consultants mostly assist and advise in planning, development and environmental issues relating to a property or building project. Planning consultants are often consulted when a planning application is envisaged to be tricky or troublesome; or when a planning application has been refused and will be appealed.

We can refer planning consultants for your property needs.

Building contracts are routinely appointed to undertake building works of all sizes and complexity. It is very common for the building contractor to provide a fixed price for undertaking the necessary work within the time frame specified to them. They will source and supply most materials and all relevant tradesmen and workers. It is recommended that no matter how small the job is, a contract is in place between the land owner (developer) and the building contractor. For large developments, such contracts are usually based on the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) Contract.

We can refer building contractors for your property needs.

All properties require maintenance. It is important to properly maintain your property regularly throughout the year. There are also relevant rules and regulations which must be complied with on a yearly basis.

We can refer various property maintenance contractors and tradesmen who can attend to a variety of issues.

Most properties must have a fire risk assessment undertaken on a yearly basis. This is to prevent fire and keep people in the property safe at all times. When building a new building or a extension, it is also important that fire risks are considered and provided for accordingly. Such assessments are usually done by a competent and qualified fire risk assessor.

We can refer fire risk assessors for your property needs.

When renting a property, a landlord always wants to ensure that the property is handed back to them at the end of the tenancy in the same condition as it was at the beginning of the tenancy. The only usual exception is that of fair wear and tear. Letting agents should routinely carry out inventories. Inventory clerks are often instructed to prepare the check-in inventory and schedule of condition at the beginning of the tenancy. This will document all of the landlord’s contents along with the condition of the property. It is usually the case that a deposit is taken by the landlord to protect against any damage to their contents or the property. At the end of the tenancy, a check-out inventory and schedule of condition is undertaken. This will compare the difference between the check-in and the check-out and highlight any damages. It is then up to the landlord and tenant to agree any deductions from the tenant’s deposit and if any further sums are due to the landlord because of the damages.

We can refer inventory clerks for your property needs.