News & Legal Updates

It is the time of year when we tend to look back on the previous twelve months and also look ahead to consider what the new year may have in store for us. A reflection on 2021 In 2021, the residential property market in Scotland was booming.  The most recent UK House Price Index figures … Continue reading "A reflection on 2021 & A look forward to 2022"

How many family stories start with “when sitting around the table” or “when sitting on the sofa”? Most home memories are engrained into the inanimate objects that decorate our homes.  Indeed, without our possessions, a home is not a home. Is it any wonder that one of the most common questions I am asked, regardless if someone is buying or selling is “what can I take” or “what is being left?

With the recent easing of Covid-19 restrictions in Scotland, landlords are now able to raise proceedings at the First Tier Tribunal for an eviction order i.e. to remove their tenant from the property. However, certain protections remain in place for tenants. In order to raise proceedings, the landlord must first serve notice to leave on … Continue reading "Landlords serving notice: I reserve the right to change my mind. Or do I?"

The Land Register of Scotland is responsible for keeping and maintaining publicly available registers affecting land in Scotland.  There are twenty different registers altogether and the latest of these, which will be effective as of April 2022, is The Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land (or RCI)...

When speaking to friends and family in England or Wales the one thing they all say about the conveyancing system in Scotland is:- “Once you submit an Offer in Scotland you are contractually bound”...

It's spooky season! If you love a gory story - or you are desperately searching for a costume - look no further than Scotland's spooktacular streets. In Scotland, we have no shortage of terrifying tales for Halloween and our buildings are a perfect example. Many properties throughout Scotland were built throughout different periods of history and housed many diverse families over the years...

It is well known that farmers are an aging population and crofters are no exception. The Crofting Commission’s Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20 highlighted that there were 1,318 active crofters in the 21 to 40 bracket and a staggering 1,325 in the over 80...

When Covid-19 first had us all working from home, there was great speculation that this could lead to businesses reducing their need for desk space, with city centre offices being converted to residential and hotel-type uses. So, we have two potential themes: (A) a move from retail to leisure and (B) a move from offices to residential/leisure...

I believe that most Landlords and Tenants when entering into a commercial lease, understandably believe, that the lease has a definitive start and end date, that the Tenant will vacate on that end date and the Landlord will get vacant possession at that time. If that was not to be the case, then why would they not have specified otherwise?  The principle of Tacit Relocation, however, provides that if the parties of a commercial lease do not serve notice of their intention to end the lease...

We are all too familiar with the concept that purchases, of any kind, come with those tedious and boring Terms and Conditions. You convince yourself you have, in actual fact, read all 10 pages of the terms within the span of 60 seconds (that’s okay, no judgements here). But what if those terms and conditions really matter and could affect you more than you think? Spoiler alert: it could affect you really badly. The acceptance of any terms and conditions should never be taken lightly, but that advice really rings true when it comes to purchasing your home...