Cecilia Miller, Commercial Lawyer at Walker Laird
Today, our most recent recruit Cecilia Miller, gives us an insight into her experience in law and what she aims to achieve on joining Walker Laird.
I qualified as a lawyer over 20 years ago, and, since then, have spent my time specialising in commercial property, doing deals and giving advice to buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, lenders and borrowers.
When Walker Laird offered me the opportunity to head up their commercial team, I was delighted to join this well established and trusted firm and to lead the already respected commercial department forward.
Commercial property comes in all shapes and sizes but I would like to think that there is very little during my practice that I haven’t come across whether in terms of legal challenges or types of property. I have had transactions involving fast food drive-thrus, sea-life centres, marinas and tram tracks as well as the usual shops, offices, restaurants and development land. Its variety that makes life interesting!
At the heart of it all is good, pragmatic, commercial advice and the aim to get the best deal for my clients.
I enjoy working alongside my clients, getting to know them and their business and find it rewarding when a transaction settles and everyone is happy with the outcome
I have worked for corporate law firms in Glasgow city centre and I am excited to bring that expertise and experience to Renfrewshire. With all the mergers and take overs in the large firms it’s becoming increasingly difficult to provide a personal, quality service at a cost-effective rate – that is what Walker Laird aim to do and I am delighted they’ve given me the chance to lead this department.
The team at Walker Laird are friendly and approachable and are very much client focused. They’ve made me feel welcome as I get to know the Paisley and Renfrew area and market and I’m looking forward to meeting and working with some of you who are reading this.
Get In Touch
Please contact me to discuss any needs you have in relation to any commercial property you have, or wish to have, an interest in. I am always pleased to chat through your requirements and how I can help.
To get in touch, call me on 0141 887 5271 or email me on cecilia.miller@walkerlaird.co.uk.
Thinking about selling? Now’s the time
We have seen a very different, vastly improved property market for sellers this year. Many of our clients have been surprised at just how good a result we’ve managed to achieve for them.
It is all about supply and demand. The market is underpinned right now by a good demand amongst buyers, this is certainly helped, amongst other things, by the cheap mortgage lending available. However, this is set against an insufficient supply of new properties being made available for sale. Demand is growing, but the supply is not keeping pace.
Clearly this is good for sellers. This year we have been seeing shorter sale times, frequent closing dates off the back of multiple viewings and, as a result, sometimes surprisingly good sale prices. This is especially true for family size homes. So, if you are thinking about moving, now could be the perfect time.
There is no better example of this than our recent marketing of 13, 15, 18 Kemp Avenue, 11 Methuen Road and 50 Clydesdale Avenue in Paisley. These properties are all within 500 yards of each other and are all of a similar type and value. We brought these properties to the market over the last few weeks, but they are all sold now.
What is striking is that none of the properties were on the market for longer than two weeks. In fact, Number 18 Kemp Avenue lasted only two days. Numbers 13 and 15 Kemp Avenue sold at closing dates with multiple offers above valuation. It goes to show, even with multiple properties coming to market in a concentrated location around the same time, the demand is still there for them to be snapped up.
There are still buyers who missed out on these properties. We are working with them now to help them find another home.
The bottom line is this: we are currently experiencing a high demand for family homes. We have serious buyers actively looking for property. We are confident that they would pay a premium price for the right property.
Contact one of our experienced staff today
So, if you are thinking about selling contact one of our experienced staff today to arrange a free valuation on 0141 886 5678. We are offering competitive fee packages for any newsletter enquiries.
We back the bid for Paisley 2021!
As a local business in Paisley, founded over 200 years ago, we are delighted with the opportunity to celebrate our town for its rich culture and history.
Our town’s heritage is both artistic and architectural, which is why it is the perfect candidate for UK City of Culture. Most known for the famous Paisley pattern, now used across the world, our town is certainly recognised and celebrated in the textile industry.
Paisley is also renowned for its impressive architecture, including Paisley Abbey, Paisley Town Hall, the Coats Observatory and of course, Fountain Gardens, which were recently restored! (We’re also very proud of our own building on Gilmour Street, with its traditional pillar design)!
Continued Support
Walker Laird are proud to support Paisley’s bid for UK City of Culture, as it is important that we highlight the town’s rich heritage. Last month, we sponsored two lions in the Pride of Paisley event, which was a perfect representation of the town’s artistic talents. Attracting new visitors, the lion-inspired art project emphasised Paisley’s culture and we were delighted to be involved.
We have thoroughly enjoyed the annual Spree Festival, celebrating music, arts and comedy in Paisley, running from Friday October 14th – Saturday October 22nd – the Spiegeltent is right outside our Paisley offices!
With many more events already planned, we’re sure it’s going to be an exciting year for our town, with the decision for UK City of Culture being made next year – good luck Paisley!
Putting Your Trust In Asset Protection
We’re sure that as you look forward, your wish is for your assets to be passed to your children, grandchildren, or other loved ones, but many of our clients often worry about how these assets will be managed should they require full time or residential care.
We recently discussed granting Power of Attorney and the possibility of someone else managing your finances, property and personal welfare, should you not be able to do so. This is particularly useful for those who experience significant life changes, leaving them somewhat incapacitated.
Another way in which you may look to protect your assets is through Asset Protection, which is something you may look to set up while you are still capable of doing so, as it allows you more individual control.
For those concerned about their assets being used to fund any form of care they may need in the future, Asset Protection may be the preferred option.
Setting up Asset Protection in the form of an Family Protection Trust, would allow you control over the management of your assets, should you go into care. Organising this at an early stage will allow for sufficient planning, in terms of protecting your main assets, such as your home.
Placing these assets within a trust protects your family’s inheritance from unscrupulous creditors, unforeseen circumstantial changes, or any liabilities that may arise, which in today’s economy are somewhat likely. It also allows you to decide if and when these assets should be transferred from the trust to certain beneficiaries.
While you are in control of this Trust, you must also appoint at least one other Trustee, who is therefore also responsible for any assets being held within it.
Here at Walker Laird we believe Future Planning is very important and we are happy to offer a free of charge future planning review, to discuss the best choices for yourself and your assets.
Get In Touch
If you would like to explore your options, please call 0141 887 5271, we will be happy to arrange a suitable time to have a chat.
Some decisions are better taken sooner rather than later...
It’s understandable that when making certain big decisions, people often stall or put it off altogether. Often a lack of information, or an information overload, can make the experience particularly daunting. However, we should consider the importance of making these decisions, and what’s more, making them at the right time.
Power Of Attorney
One such decision which is often overlooked is putting in place Power of Attorney. It’s likely that you’ve heard this term being used before, whether that be in a passing conversation or even on TV, but we would stress the importance of making this decision with regards to your personal welfare, finances and property.
For those of you who may not know much about this, a Power of Attorney is a written document that appoints a person(s) of your choice as your Attorney, who therefore has the authority to make decisions on your behalf, should you not be able to do so.
There is a common assumption that it is not as important to grant Power of Attorney until you are older, however we feel you should consider doing so at the earliest opportunity. Many people have their Will drawn up around the time they buy their first property, or when they start a family, this would also be an ideal time to grant your Power of Attorney.
Interestingly, you may prioritise drawing up a Will, in the interest of passing on your assets, but in reality, Power of Attorney is much more important as you never know when you may become incapacitated and unable to manage your day-to-day life, including your own welfare and finances. Should this happen, your Attorney would be able to make certain decisions (as established by yourself) on your behalf.
However, you will not be able to grant Power of Attorney after an accident has occurred and applying to do so at this time is an extremely laborious and potentially expensive exercise through the courts. All of this is avoidable if you have chosen your Attorney beforehand.
Not only are there potentially extensive costs, but this process is not quick or easy and therefore could take months to have someone officially granted Power of Attorney, all happening at a time you really need someone you trust looking after your interests.
Responsibilities of Attorneys vary, as they can manage day-to-day finances such as bills or larger decisions such as investments. Nevertheless, we suggest granting Power of Attorney to one or more person, as soon as possible to ensure that your affairs continued to be managed as you, would manage them.
Constructing Schools in Ghana
Giving something back to communities is something that at Walker Laird is very passionate about. Two of our staff Graham Paisley and Luke Eaton, of our Paisley office, went over and above in helping those in need by giving up their time to fly to Ghana and help build all new facilities at a new school this summer.
This level of dedication has impressed the whole team at Walker Laird, and we wanted to share their story from their time in Africa and just how their work will go to help children over there.
Inspired from a previous trip to Uganda two years ago, also to help construct important buildings, Luke was wanting to return to the continent and assist once again. For Graham, this sounded like a brilliant opportunity to give something back and signed up alongside Luke to go out to the village of Kaleo in Ghana for 17 days, both there as part of a team of nine to help build a teacher's dormitory at a new school.
Once they were both signed up, they worked hard at fundraising the money they needed to go over for the trip. After some hard work putting on dedicated fundraiser evenings, raffles and sponsored walks, they both met their target and were ready to embark on this trip.
They arrived in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, which both described as being as “a bit more upmarket”. From here they then had a 17 hour bus journey to the small town of Kaleo, where they would be spending the rest of their time to help construct the dormitory.
Arriving on the Sunday, they met with the builders on the Monday to go over the full project and understand exactly what work needed to be done. Graham and Luke’s team of nine were joined by another group, also from Scotland, who were building classrooms. During their time their, they all worked hard to construct these much needed areas for the school.
Supporting Education
In this school most of the kids who would be attending were not actually from Kaleo, but from outside. This is simply due to the fact that it still costs money for a child to attend. So over the 17 days they were there, Graham and Luke were able to get to know some of the local children and residents, including the village chief, who could be found enjoying a refreshing beer in the 40°C heat!
Since they returned, they both said that they would “go back in a heartbeat”, and have plans to return in a few years and volunteer once more. The experience has been an extremely positive one for Graham and Luke, and everyone here at Walker Laird are happy to have two such giving members of the team.
If you would like to find out more about how you can get involved with helping communities abroad, why not check out the charity Graham and Luke supported on their trip - Connected. Check out more of their pictures from the gallery below!
Our Easy Guide To Conveyancing
When it comes to buying or selling a house, a key part of the process involves conveyancing. For most people they understand the basics of what is required to buy a house and how to market it, but the conveyancing process still remains somewhat of a mystery, after all, it isn’t a word that comes up too often in day to day conversation is it?
So to help we have created a quick guide to help you understand the conveyancing process, helping to clear exactly what it is, what stages are part of it, how long it takes and help answer some of the most commonly asked questions around it.
Conveyancing...What is it?
In a nutshell, conveyancing is the legal process which takes place after the main details of buying or selling your house has been agreed. This usually involves a contract being created which confirms ownership of the property being transferred from one person to another, done by way of missives (an exchange of letters between the buyer's and seller’s solicitors).
The conveyancing process will also involve your solicitor carrying out additional searches on the property itself and the parties involved in the purchase. These searches are done to make sure the buyer gets and knows what they paid for and to make sure there will be no additional costs incurred after purchasing the home.
What are the stages?
Once an offer has been accepted, both parties solicitors will then work to negotiate the terms of the contract by completing what is known as “missives”. This entails a number of important tasks, including agreeing a date of entry as well as what (or any) additional items to be left in the property (this is commonly things such as blinds, kitchen equipment etc).
The next stage is to “conclude missives”, which simply means that the contract of sale and purchase of the property has been agreed between the buyer and seller. By this point you will have your entry date, funds secured and insurances arranged for the transfer.
Moving forward to the date of entry both the buyer and seller’s solicitors will arrange the successful transfer of the funds. Once complete and correct funds have been received, the new owner will be able to pick up their keys to their new home from either the seller themselves, the seller’s solicitor or the estate agent, leaving them free to begin moving in!
How long does this take?
There is no set timescale for the conveyancing stage, but on average it can take six to eight weeks. This can very easily be longer or shorter depending on the circumstances, everyone will be different. There are a number of factors to consider in a house purchase or sale that can vary the timescale, for example agreeing the initial terms of the sale or securing your mortgage from your chosen lender.
We have a vastly experienced conveyancing team here at Walker Laird who will help you every step of the way, regardless of your circumstances. If you have any questions about conveyancing or would like us to help you during this stage then please give us a call on 0141 887 5271.
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