Open house event this weekend
We will be holding an open house weekend for selected properties on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th January. Please see below for details of the properties taking part.
Open house viewing allows potential buyers the opportunity to view property without the need to contact the Estate Agent to arrange an appointment. Home buying can be a fairly daunting process, particularly for first time and inexperienced buyers. All too often we find that new buyers can be apprehensive to arrange viewing, not knowing what is expected of them. We want to alleviate that fear and encourage the viewers to look at our properties on an informal basis.
If a buyer sees something that they are interested in, then we can provide all the help that they need in order to proceed with the purchase. We also find that buyers tend to look at a broader spectrum of properties when given the option to view at an open house, perhaps falling in love with a property that they would not have expected would fit their needs. We can all remember the television programs where the buyers were blown away with the ‘wildcard’ property.
22 Garnie Avenue, Erskine – Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 2pm
14 Park Green, Erskine – Saturday from 12 to 2pm
7 Park Glade, Erskine – Saturday and Sunday from 12 – 2pm
47 Sunnylaw Drive, Paisley – Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 2pm
5A Viking Way, Renfrew – Saturday and Sunday from 12 – 2pm
44 Moorpark Square, Renfrew – Saturday and Sunday from 12 – 2pm
142 Moorpark Square, Renfrew for both Sat and Sun 12 – 2pm
Contact Us
For more information, please call 0141 886 5678
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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