Much publicity has surrounded Help to Buy, the government equity loan scheme aimed at helping first time buyers to get on the property ladder. Help to Buy offers homebuyers a five-year interest-free loan of up to 20% of the purchase price of a new-build property, with home owners contributing a deposit of 5% of the…
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Property and Conveyancing
July 18, 2019
February 15, 2019
News reports tell us that these are uncertain times in the housing market, with property prices levelling off, or even falling, in some areas, while other parts of the country see continued growth. Calls to reform the conveyancing system to make the process smoother and cheaper, stricter regulation of estate agents, and demands for changes…
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January 9, 2019
Spotting trends and predicting what will happen to house prices is always a popular feature of the property pages at this time of year. London prices may have shown a downturn over the last 12 months, with the Office for National Statistics reporting a drop of 1.7% for 2018, but property prices in our local…
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October 6, 2018
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics claim that property prices in Hertfordshire increased by 1.4% over the 12 months to July, 2018. The figure represents a slight downturn when seen against the rise of 2.4% for the East of England and 3.1% for the whole of the UK. However, St Albans is still…
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September 17, 2018
The problems surrounding changes to local commuter train services has led to a flurry of comments on social media and the creation of numerous internet forums where people can vent their anger. The new timetables introduced by Thameslink and other train companies over the last few months have coincided with the recent spell of warm…
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May 21, 2018
There’s no doubt that moving home is one of the most challenging life events that anyone can go through. It’s both physically and mentally demanding and the resulting change and unfamiliarity naturally creates feelings of stress and anxiety so we asked Carole Simkins, a professional counsellor, for some tips to help you make a stress-free move…
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May 17, 2018
Most locals will know that St Albans has featured many times on TV and in films – the Abbey Gateway standing in for an Oxford College in Inspector Morse, Fishpool Street appearing in episodes of Foyle’s War, and the Abbey itself substituting for Westminster Abbey in the film Johnny English to name just a few.…
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April 30, 2018
Work has started at the former Harperbury Hospital site, between Radlett and London Colney, where developer Bloor Homes is to build 206 new homes. The mental health hospital was effectively closed in 2001 and the buildings have been in steady decline ever since, due to the ravages of time and weather, as well as episodes…
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April 17, 2018
The fourth edition of the Consumer Code for Home Builders was issued in September, 2017, and is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. Developers signing up to the Code must ensure the highest standards in the marketing, selling and buying of New Homes, and continue these levels of service into after- sales and customer…
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April 14, 2018
So says UK Finance, the organisation representing the UK banking and lending industries. According to the group`s latest figures first-time borrowers accounted for £5.9 billion of loans in June, an increase of 26% on the month before and up 9% on June 2016. This amounted to 36,000 individual home loans, an overall increase of 6%…
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I have done three conveyancing transactions and handled a Probate via Bretherton Law in the last 6-8 months. Bretherton Law is probably not the cheapest option in either case, but you do get the service and attention you pay for. Both Anne Stockley (Probate) and Isobel Doherty (Conveyancing) were outstanding and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
Joe Hames
We recently completed on the sale of a flat and the purchase of a house, with Osman Dervish acting for us. Osman was responsive, professional and commercial to ensure the transaction was done as efficiently as possible. He faced an inexperienced and extremely rude solicitor who acted for our purchaser but always maintained a cool and professional manner notwithstanding how infuriating she was! This really helped to ensure we worked our way through the issues she created. Brethertons were also good value. Highly recommended.
Sarah Wright
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Huge thanks to Lucy Madley and her team. They were friendly, helpful and proactive, keeping us informed at every turn and we have now bought our first house. I would recommend happily to friends and family.
Jack du Pille
Sandra Bradley and team, assisted my partner and I through a very difficult time. They guided us through a very complex arena that was completely foreign to us with professional dedication and compassion throughout. I still have them on speed dial and would use Bretherton Law for all my legal needs in the future and have recommended to many family and friends already, who have also had a highly positive experience.
Richard Saunders
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We are so pleased to have worked again with Osman Dervish at Bretherton Law.
Osman always goes out of his way to support us when buying or selling and is such an incredibly nice gentleman to converse with.
Thanks for all your support Osman. D Grant
We recently used Bretherton Law for a sale and purchase. We were really pleased with the service received. The team were responsive and professional at all times. They took the time to answer any queries we had in detail to ensure we fully understood everything. Most importantly, there was a sense or urgency throughout the whole process. We would highly recommend Bretherton Law.
Adam
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My name is Ruth Palmer Cooper. I am posting this review to publicly confirm that this solicitors is simply the best in St Albans. I have had the pleasure of dealing with Mr Osman Dervish and his team for the past 18 months. Throughout the entire process , Mr Dervish has been outstanding. He is a remarkable solicitor who answered various queries and handled all of the ups and downs with great professionalism and clarity. He supported me through so many very tricky moments and explained everything to me in a way that I could understand. He is polite and courteous.I would recommend him highly and the company are very lucky to have such a brilliant solcitor working within their establishment. Many thanks for making this whole episode so much more bearable.
william palmer cooper
I know this law firm cover many different areas which I would use if I ever needed them. I can never thank Sandra Bradley enough for her professionalism and hours of work over the past 6 months in what was a complex family case. Her support was incredible she was always honest and never gave false hope. I have every confidence in recommending this law firm and will go back to them if I ever need further help or advice. Thank you once again. Dawn
Dawn Brett
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Sandra Bradley and her team were extremely knowledgeable and efficient. Her care, consideration and professionalism were outstanding. I felt totally supported & extremely well represented throughout a very complex & complicated case for nine months. Words cannot express my gratitude for the result she achieved. Highly recommend to everyone.
Jen Bullock
Serving Communities
We have been advising our local communities in the Northern Home Counties and London for over fifty years but now, from our base in St Albans, we also serve clients across England and Wales