Services for You

Residential Property

At Crane & Staples, we have an expert team of conveyancing solicitors who can help with all your property-related transactions, including selling, purchasing and re-mortgaging.

Crane & Staples Solicitors is based in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. Our team are proud to serve the local community's conveyancing needs, but we welcome clients from across the country. We have sophisticated systems in place to ensure that your property matter can be carried out efficiently, in a way that best serves your needs.

Our friendly, helpful team of property lawyers will use their experience, technical knowledge and forward-thinking to take the hassle out of buying and selling houses. We act on your behalf as independent advisors, and we do not pay referral fees to estate agents or financial advisors.

We are the only conveyancing solicitors in Welwyn Garden City to be ranked for Real Estate in the Chambers & Partners UK Solicitors Guide. In addition, we are ranked number 1 in the Top 10 Housing & Property Solicitors  in Welwyn Hatfield on the Review Solicitors website. You may wish to read our reviews here, or in the pop-up on the side of this page. These prestigious rankings and verified reviews help to give clients the confidence to instruct us in their property matters time and time again.

If you are looking to instruct an experienced team of conveyancing solicitors, it would be our pleasure to welcome you as a client of Crane & Staples.

Online Conveyancing Fee Estimate

We are pleased to provide a quality conveyancing service at a competitive price.

Please use the form below to generate a fee estimate for your property matter.

Please note that the estimate generated is a standard estimate, based only on the information you provide now. Once you instruct us, this estimate may be revised, if we learn of any unusual discrepancies that may complicate the matter. We pride ourselves on offering transparent fee estimates.  We will always fully explain any revised estimate to you, keeping you updated every step of the way. Please read the disclaimer at the bottom of the form for further information.

If you are viewing the estimate on a mobile device, you may only see the final total, which includes VAT. Please follow the instructions to email the estimate to yourself so that you can see the complete breakdown of fees.

We never lose sight of the fact that you are the most important person throughout the process. Our team at Crane & Staples is here to make the process as straightforward and worry-free as it can possibly be, providing you with regular updates on your transaction.

The conveyancing solicitors on the team are backed up by highly experienced assistants, who can usually answer any questions if your conveyancer is not available. Otherwise, they will make sure you are called within 24 hours by someone who can.

Buying your Council House

With the recent Government discount increase, more and more people are choosing to buy their Council or Housing Association property.

We deal with these transactions regularly and use our expertise to ensure your purchase proceeds quickly and efficiently.

If your offer to purchase your Council or Housing Association property has been accepted, please let us help you complete your property purchase.

Lease Extensions

A leasehold flat or house is a valuable asset, however as the term of the lease diminishes, so does the value of that asset. A decreasing lease term can cause difficulties for the residential leaseholder when wishing to mortgage or sell the property. 

Legislation has been in place for a number of years to provide leaseholders with the statutory right to extend their lease. This is a complex and time critical procedure with many pitfalls.

We can assist with the process of extending the lease of your property either via the statutory route (from initial service of notices through to Tribunal applications), or, by an informal procedure, with the co-operation of the landlord.

We also act for landlords and managing agents assisting with the statutory procedure initiated by the leaseholder, or alternatively, setting up a scheme by which leases can be extended which is mutually beneficial to both the landlord and leaseholder.

Leasehold Enfranchisement

Leasehold enfranchisement includes the processes of lease extension, freehold acquisition and the correction of management within leasehold properties.

The Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) exists to ensure that practitioners involved in this sector adhere to an agreed level of conduct and service.

Membership of this professional association is a badge of assurance to leaseholders and freeholders. It is an assurance that they can expect a consistently high level of service, integrity and professionalism.

Bonnie Twiggs is one of the few conveyancing solicitors in Welwyn Garden City to be a member of ALEP. Please contact her for more information and assistance.

Acquiring the Freehold

In some cases, it may be beneficial for a leaseholder of a house, or leaseholders of a block of flats to acquire the freehold of their properties in order to gain greater control over matters such as management and repair.

There are a number of statutes covering this area of the law and it is a very complex area.

We can assist in the following situations:

  • Acquiring the freehold of an individual house
  • Acting for leaseholders joining together to serve notice on a landlord to acquire the freehold of a block of flats
  • Acting for leaseholders following the receipt of notice from the landlord wishing to dispose of the freehold
  • Acting for a landlord upon receipt of notices from the leaseholders or serving notices upon the leaseholders to dispose of the freehold
  • Mutually agreed transactions outside the scope of the legislation

We work closely with local and more widespread surveyors also specialising in this complex area of the law to ensure that a complete service can be provided for you.

Purchases

Buying a house is one of the biggest financial decisions that you will make in your life. As a result, it can be a lengthy and complicated process. We are here to help make things easy for you.

Our specialist team can help you to ensure your purchase runs smoothly, with as little stress as possible. We are able to assist all types of purchasers, from first-time buyers to property developers.

You can find out more about the conveyancing process for purchases here.

Additionally, for more information about why you should use a conveyancing solicitor to buy a house, please read this article.

New Build Purchases

Purchasing a new build property is a very exciting time but the process can be complex. We can help you navigate the purchase of your new dream home so you are fully aware of the requirements.

Sales

If you are thinking about selling your home then come to us. Our conveyancing solicitors are experts in dealing with sales of a wide range of property types. This includes flats, houses, bungalows,  shared ownership properties, HMOs and listed buildings.

Undeniably, speed is key when you are looking to sell your property. Our team will ensure that your transaction proceeds as quickly and efficiently as possible. Accordingly, we aim to keep you informed every step of the way.

You can find out more about the conveyancing process for sales here.

Transfer of Equity

A Transfer of Equity is when someone is added or removed from the title deeds. For example, a sole owner adding their husband or wife or a parent adding their son or daughter. We have particular experience in transfers of equity for separating couples. This is because we often receive referrals from our colleagues in the Family team. This ensures consistency for our clients who have several matters in progress at the firm.

If there is a mortgage on the property you will also need to change the mortgage deed.

Our property experts have the experience to deal with these transactions on your behalf.

Conveyancing Cost Information

Our fees cover all the work required to complete your sale, purchase or re-mortgage. If you are purchasing, our fees will also include dealing with the registration of your purchase with the Land Registry. In addition to our fees, various disbursements will be incurred. Disbursements are costs payable to third parties such as to search providers and the Land Registry. We estimate these at the outset of the transaction however they will be subject to variation. We will also handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

You can find out more information about why you should use a conveyancing solicitor in this article.

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Fee Estimate