Buying & Selling Property

We have a wealth of local knowledge of East Kilbride and surrounding areas and can offer our clients a superior standard of estate agency.  As soon as you are thinking of selling your property our Estate Agency department can provide you with a free valuation and estate agency quotation.  We can advise you on all aspects of your sale to ensure that your property is marketed in the most efficient and cost effective manner.

BuchananBurton are both solicitors and selling agents, so they can handle the whole process of selling your home, from valuation to completion and even buying your next home, all under one roof.  It’s easy, efficient and can often be more economical than using a separate estate agent and solicitor.

Please contact us to arrange a free no obligation quote and valuation.

View the portfolio of properties for sale.

If you want to access the funds invested in your home without having to sell it, you can either remortgage or release some of the equity in your property. The right option for you will depend on your financial situation and your intention for accessing the funds. At BuchananBurton, we take the time to get to know you and understand your plans. We provide clear, practical advice that cuts through the legal jargon and provides you with effective solutions to your property concerns. Contact us today to discuss your property matter.

Remortgage your Home

Remortgaging is the act of changing the mortgage on your home to a completely new lender or to a different product from your existing lender. There are several situations in which you might consider remortgaging, and many reasons for doing so, including:

• Reducing your monthly mortgage payments. Following the end of a fixed/discounted-term, you may want to take advantage of a more favourable interest rate on another mortgage.
• Change provider. If your circumstances have changed, you may wish to switch to a different mortgage lender to reflect these changes, for example one that offers fixed or flexible repayments.
• Raise extra money. Remortgaging can allow you to raise money for home improvements or other significant expenses.

The remortgaging process can be daunting, and it is important to remember that it does involve taking on additional debt. We will help you understand the full financial implications of remortgaging, including any penalties for paying off your existing mortgage early, to allow you to make an informed decision. If you decide to remortgage your house we can take care of transferring your mortgage to your new lender.

Equity Release

Releasing equity allows you to unlock the money tied up in your property. If you release equity you borrow an amount of your home’s value and you can use this money straight away. Homeowners release equity for various reasons, including to make home improvements, pay for a holiday or other big expenses.

There are two main ways to release equity in your home:

• A lifetime mortgage. With this mortgage, you can release money either in a lump sum or through a drawdown arrangement. Interest is only charged on the amount you borrow, and repayment of the total debt is only made when the house is sold.
• Home reversion plans. Under this plan, you sell all or part of your property in return for a tax-free lump sum. The share you decide to retain stays the same whatever happens to property prices.

If you are considering releasing equity in your home, we will meet with you face-to-face and prepare a written report setting out the risks and rewards of your equity release scheme, together with your contractual obligations regarding any product offer you might have received. We will ensure that you understand fully the terms of the contract so you can make the best possible decision for your future.

Contact our Remortgaging & Equity Release Solicitors – Providing Legal Services within East Kilbride, Hamilton, Strathaven & Glasgow South Side

At BuchananBurton, we speak your language. Our advice is down-to-earth and practical – giving you real solutions to your everyday problems. Our solicitors offer cost-effective solutions to your legal needs, ensuring you have a good understanding of your options every step of the way. We serve clients in East Kilbride, Strathaven, Thorntonhall, Carmunnock, Hamilton, Clarkston, Busby and the surrounding areas.

Pop into our office, give us a call on 01355 249 228 or contact us via our online contact form and someone will be in touch shortly.

Divorce can be one of the most emotionally straining experiences a couple can go through, and when there are young children involved the whole thing can become that much more upsetting. We understand you want to ensure your children are properly looked after. It is of the utmost importance, therefore, that you arrange an effective child maintenance agreement so you can be assured your children are provided for.

If you are unsure of the best option when it comes to arranging child maintenance payments, we can help you make the best decision for your family. Contact the expert Family Law team at BuchananBurton today for sensitive, pragmatic advice.

Child Maintenance

Parents have a responsibility to financially support their children. In many cases where a relationship has broken down, the child/children will live most of the time with one parent. Child maintenance is the money paid by the parent that does not have everyday care of the child/children (the ‘paying’ parent) to the other parent (the ‘receiving’ parent).

The agreement reached between the parents should including the following information:

• the amount to be paid by the paying parent;
• the frequency of payments;
• how payments will be made (bank transfer, etc.); and
• the date and time of a review meeting where the agreement will be reviewed and necessary changes can be made.

The amount of maintenance to be paid will depend on the income of the paying parent. To avoid difficulty down the line, it is important that the amount is realistic and that it is regularly reviewed.

Family-Based Arrangements

If you remain on good terms with your ex-partner, you may be able to come to a voluntary and informal child maintenance agreement, known as a family-based arrangement. This type of agreement offers flexibility and is an amicable solution. The biggest downside, however, is that it is not legally binding. If either parent does not keep to the agreement, it cannot be enforced. If you require a Family Lawyer to advise you of the benefits and downsides of this course of action in light of your family’s situation, get in contact with BuchananBurton today.

Minutes of Agreement

Our experienced Family Law Solicitors can also help you make your child maintenance agreement legally binding by applying to the court for a minute of agreement. This means that if either parent does not stick to the agreement, it can be enforced through the courts.

Child Maintenance Service

If you and your ex-partner cannot agree on what levels of child maintenance to pay, you can contact the Child Maintenance Service to make the decision for you. The Service can work out how much should be paid (this amount is legally enforceable) and take action if maintenance is not paid.

Court application

Taking your matter to court is rarely the best way to deal with a child maintenance situation, and we recommend using this as a last resort. However, there are situations where a court application may be appropriate, for example:

• where the paying parent lives abroad – a court order called a Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Order may be required;
• where the paying parent has a very high level of income, over £156,000 per year and you believe it would be fair to ask for more than the levels required by the Child Maintenance Service.

If you need to make a court application for child maintenance, we will provide specialist advice and representation to get you the best possible outcome for your family.

Contact our Child Maintenance Solicitors – Providing Legal Services within East Kilbride, Hamilton, Strathaven & Glasgow South Side

At BuchananBurton, we speak your language. Our advice is down-to-earth and practical – giving you real solutions to your everyday problems. Our solicitors offer cost-effective solutions to your legal needs, ensuring you have a good understanding of your options every step of the way. We serve clients in East Kilbride, Strathaven, Thorntonhall, Carmunnock, Hamilton, Clarkston, Busby and the surrounding areas.

Pop into our office, give us a call on 01355 249 228 or contact us via our online contact form and someone will be in touch shortly.

When you are buying a property, it is important that you know what you are paying for. There can be hidden surprises and factors you may not consider, like the potential for flooding or the effect of old mining activity in the area. That is why it pays to instruct specialist property solicitors to make sure all the necessary checks and surveys are carried out.

At BuchananBurton, we provide a wide range of services to property buyers, including instructing surveys. We ensure no stone is left unturned so our clients are fully informed when they are buying their next property. For straightforward, practical advice on all aspects of your property purchase, get in touch with us today.

Home Report

The expert Conveyancing Solicitors at BuchananBurton can help you review and assess the Home Report provided by the seller. All houses for sale in Scotland must be marketed with a Home Report. It is a pack of three documents:

• A single survey, which contains an assessment by a surveyor of the condition of the home, a valuation and an accessibility audit for people with particular needs.
• An energy report, which contains an assessment by a surveyor of the energy efficiency of the home, and its environmental impact. It also recommends ways to improve energy efficiency.
• A property questionnaire, which is completed by the seller and contains useful information about the property, such as council tax banding and factoring costs.

While the Home Report is useful, it is often the case that it is not detailed enough to offer you the peace of mind you need when buying a property. That is where independent surveys can help.

Independent Surveys

Your mortgage provider will arrange a survey of the property but it is strongly recommended that you instruct your own survey so you are fully aware of any problems with the property before you buy. There are three main types of survey, and we will provide advice on which one, or combination, would be the most appropriate and cost-effective for your purchase.

• Mortgage valuation report (scheme 1 survey). This is the cheapest type of inspection and is carried out with a view to providing a valuation for the purposes of getting a mortgage.
• Homebuyers report (scheme 2 survey). This will examine the structure of the property as well as the value, and should identify any existing or future problems with it.
• Full structural survey (buildings survey). This is expensive, but it provides the most thorough inspection of the property.

When helping you instruct a survey, the Conveyancing Solicitors at BuchananBurton will ensure the surveyor is a member of one of the necessary professional bodies, so you are confident that they will do the job properly. These include:

• the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors;
• the Incorporated Society of Valuers and Auctioneers; and
• the Incorporated Association of Architects and Surveyors.

In the event, that there are issues with the property, you will need to decide whether you want to continue with the purchase, and if so, how much it will cost to rectify the issues and who will bear the cost.

New Build Guarantee

Most new properties in Scotland are covered by a guarantee scheme to protect you against any major structural faults, which may develop up to 10 years after the property is built. However, if a new property is not covered by one of these schemes, it may be the case that a lender would still be happy to provide a mortgage if the property was built under the supervision of an architect or a surveyor.

Local Knowledge

Local knowledge is paramount when it comes to identifying any issues that may affect the property you are buying. For instance, we may need to investigate the flood risk in the area. While the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) provides flood maps, it is also very helpful to know the area.

We are local solicitors for clients in East Kilbride, Strathaven, Thorntonhall, Carmunnock, Hamilton, Clarkston, Busby and the surrounding areas. We are well placed not only to carry out the legal technicalities when it comes to instructing surveys, but also in knowing the issues that may arise, simply because we are locals.

Contact our Conveyancing Solicitors – Providing Legal Services within East Kilbride, Hamilton, Strathaven & Glasgow South Side

At BuchananBurton, we speak your language. Our advice is down-to-earth and practical – giving you real solutions to your everyday problems. Our solicitors offer cost-effective solutions to your legal needs, ensuring you have a good understanding of your options every step of the way.

Pop into our office, give us a call on 01355 249 228 or contact us via our online contact form and someone will be in touch shortly.