Welcome to Louise Howard Solicitors

Property

Whether you are an experienced buyer or seller, a first-time buyer, curious about your options for re-mortgaging, or taking a lease of a premises for your business we can offer you sound and affordable advice.

We know that you need to budget accurately for this next stage, to assist you, we provide a detailed written breakdown of our costs at the beginning. This will include the payments that will have to be made to third parties on your behalf such as Stamp Duty to the Government and Land Registry fees to the Property Registration Authority.

At the outset of any purchase you should be mindful that you will have to pay Stamp Duty to the Revenue Commissioners you can use the following table to assist you in calculating this government charge.

With effect from 8 December 2010 new lower rates of stamp duty apply as follows:
Aggregate Consideration | Rate of Duty
First €1,000,000 | 1%
Excess over €1,000,000 | 2%

Buying a New Home

The steps involved in a buying a new home:

1. Booking Deposit – Once you have paid your booking deposit you will need to give your solicitor’s name to the auctioneer in order that they may instruct the solicitors for the builder/seller to forward us building agreements / contracts for sale and vouching documentation.
2. Loan Approval – In the meantime you should be attending to the matter of Loan Approval and you will need to instruct your Mortgage Broker / Lender of the full purchase price, the property address and your Solicitor details in order that they issue the complete letter of offer of loan approval (i.e. not loan approval in principle).
3. Planning Enquiries – We would also advise at this time that it is important that you make enquiries as to the planning in the area and the likely future development of the locality. The best way to find out this information is to enquire personally with the Planning Department of the Local Authority offices to inspect the planning file and ascertain the development plan, the zoning of the area and any planning application in the local area which may affect the property.

Buying a Second Hand Home

The steps involved in buying a second hand home:

1. Booking Deposit – Once you have paid your booking deposit you will need to give your solicitor’s name to the auctioneer in order that they may instruct the solicitors for the vendor (Seller) to forward us the Contracts for Sale and vouching documentation

2. Loan Approval – In the meantime you should be attending to the matter of Loan Approval and you will need to instruct your Mortgage Broker / Lender of the full purchase price, the property address and your Solicitor details in order that they issue the complete letter of offer of loan approval (i.e. not loan approval in principle). The Bank will generally conduct now a valuation of the property before the loan offer issues

3. Planning Issues – It is important at this time that you make enquiries as to the planning in the area and the likely future development of the locality. The best way to find out this information is to enquire personally with the Planning Department of the Local Authority offices to inspect the planning file and ascertain the development plan, the zoning of the area and any planning application in the local area which may affect the property.

We advise on all aspects of easements, rights of way and wayleaves. These are of huge significance to landowners. The Land and Conveyancing Act 2009 as amended by the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 provides that the deadline for registering Rights of Way is the 30th November 2021. It is important to consult a solicitor if you have not already registered your right of way or easement.

Voluntary Transfers arise where a person wishes to transfer some or all of their property to another, usually a close family member, as a gift during their life time. As in all transfers of property, a number of tax issues may arise, for example Capital Gains Tax, Capital Acquisitions Tax and stamp duty. We can advise in relation to Voluntary Transfers of property to arrive at the best and most efficient way to complete a transfer.

We also specialise in boundary rectifications, long possession applications and farm transfers. If you have any property query please contact us as we have vast experience and there is no question we can’t answer.

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We do love to hear from you be it a quick question or something more in-depth, we always try to respond within 1 working day.

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+ 353 (91) 564 973

1st Floor, Churchyard Street,
Galway City.