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Award Winning Auction Solicitors in London & UK

Creative Legals is an award winning law firm specialising in property law and auction legal packs.

With a team of experienced and knowledgeable lawyers, we have helped countless clients navigate the complex world of property law and ensure that they get the maximum out of their investment.

Whether you are buying or selling a property at auction, Creative Legals can provide the expert guidance and support you need to achieve your goals.

About us


At Creative Legals, we provide an award-winning, specialist auction solicitor service across London and the United Kingdom.

Our innovative approach provides inspired solutions to ensure our clients receive the superior service this high-profile industry demands.

Our friendly, responsive, client-centred approach has made us the law firm of choice for auctioneers such as Auction House London, Barnard Marcus, Savills, Allsop, Town & Country Property Auctions, Knight Frank, and many more big names across the auction house space.

If you’re looking for an auction specialist solicitor, we’d love to work with you. Book your FREE legal consultation by filling out the form below:


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Meet Our Team

Nicholas Parsons

Managing Partner

Nicholas has been a qualified, practicing lawyer since 1979, giving him decades of valuable experience in the legal profession.

He has also worked in conveyancing for more than 45 years. Nicholas brings all this experience to the forefront in his role at Creative Legals, as a rare gem who advises on our legal practice from a powerful, experience-led position.

There are few legal minds as sharp and knowledgeable as his, and we’re delighted to have him on board as he helps support our growing client base.

Julie Condliffe

Founding and Managing Partner

Julie spearheads our dynamic team. A four-time bestselling author, successful property investor and specialist litigation solicitor, she takes a client-centred approach that helps her understand and meet our client’s needs.

Julie brings more than 20 years’ experience to her role, and as founding and managing partner, she specialises in auction conveyancing, commercial lease renewals, and property litigation.

In addition to her legal work, Julie is a sought after public speaker and a writer on property and other matters. She regularly writes articles for leading magazines and papers, including the Law Society Gazette.

As Featured On

Creative Legal acted very quickly and with great professionalism. I was able to speak directly with the solicitor Julie when needed, she was extremely responsive and attentive to the matter and its full context.

Rachal Bradley

Chris and Julie at Creative Legals were great to work with, they provided great advice regarding a relatively complex legal situation and their knowledge helped achieved a great result that exceeded our expectations.

David Elliott

Our Services


We provide a full-service specialist service for auction houses and people buying and selling at auction, preparing some of the country’s best RICS-compliant auction legal packs, as well as helping with post-auction conveyancing. When buying a property at auction, it’s important to avoid hidden traps and costs; we help clients review their legal pack before bidding, as well as helping successful bidders with post-auction conveyancing.

For information about our full range of services, Contact Us

Auction Legal Packs

Whether you’re buying or selling at an Auction

Evictions

Evictions services for Landlords and Tenants in London and UK

Lease Options

Lease Option services for Landlords and Tenants in London

Divorce & Family Law

Legal advice on Divorce and Family matters in London and UK

Litigation

Legal assistance in Civil and Commercial Litigation

Independent legal advice

Independent legal advice in the UK

Why choose us

Award winning Law firm

Creative Legals has been awarded as the best auction law firm in 2022

Fast Service

We provide fast turnaround time for all your legal work

Customer Satisfaction

Our clients speak highly of us as we’re determined to give them a satisfying experience when it comes to legal needs

Our Approach

We work faster, smarter and better to cater to the needs of our clients. At Creative Legals, we also pride ourselves on absolute transparency on our fees, including FIXED FEES for most of our services.

This helps clients to allocate budget accordingly and understand the terms of working with us at the outset.

2

Locations

12

YEARS OF HISTORY

220

Clients Served

Some of the auction houses we have worked with

  • Savills
  • Allsop
  • Auction House London
  • Barnard Marcus Auctions
  • Barnard Marcus
  • Knight Frank
  • SDL Property Auctions
  • Clive Emson Auctioneers
  • Towm & Country Property Auctions
  • Pugh Auctions
  • BidX1
  • Pattinson
  • Paul Fosh
  • Network Auctions
  • MgHugh

Julie Condliffe providing her valuable insights on property auctions at the expert panel held at ExCel London in April 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Auction Pack?

An auction pack is a bundle of documents that provides details a buyer would require when purchasing a property. It is prepared by the Seller’s Solicitors and is basically comprised of the following documents:

1. Official Copy Register of Title – this is a document from the HM Land Registry that shows the proprietor as well as charges and restrictions registered against the property

2. Title plan- This shows the plan of the property as registered at the HM Land registry

3. Special Conditions- This is a document that shows the conditions that govern the sale such as the payment of costs and when and how completion shall take place

4. Searches

Where relevant it will also contain

5. Property information forms

6. Fixtures and fittings

7. Leasehold information

8. Management pack

9. Any other relevant documentation

How do I get an Auction legal pack?

An auction legal pack is prepared by the Seller’ Solicitors and uploaded on the Auctioneers’ website. Buyers can access legal packs on the property details page on the Auction house’s website. The Auction room may also give you access to the hardcopy of the legal pack.

Who pays auction fees buyer or Seller?

Both the Buyer and the Seller will be charged by the Auctioneers. The Seller pays for registration, whilst the buyer will pay a buyer’s premium as well as Administration fee. The seller may, however, include in their auction pack that the Buyer will reimburse them for their costs or contribute a certain amount towards their Auctioneers fees.

Do you need a solicitor before auction?

As a buyer, it is recommended that you consult a solicitor before auction. It is not compulsory however but highly recommended as a solicitor will help review legal documents and give legal standing of the property before a buyer can commit to the sale. Once a buyer signs a memorandum of sale, it becomes difficult to turn away from the sale as it is legally binding.

There are many risks and disadvantages that may be hidden in a legal pack therefore a solicitor may assist in giving a clearer picture before commitment to avoid unnecessary costs.

What should I look for in an auction legal pack?

It is imperative that a buyer studies carefully all the documents in the legal pack. Particular attention should be paid to the Official copy title of register to ensure that the restrictions and covenants registered against the property do not affect your intended use of the property as well as the title plan to ensure that

It will be of importance to note the law society forms as this will help give direction and Information on the property such as the boundaries on the property and the maintenance thereof. The law society forms namely the TA10, TA6 and TA7 will also help you know, if the property has gas, or electricity and the suppliers of the same, the fixtures and fittings included in the sale and as the leasehold information. Also pay attached to the Agreement and/or special conditions as this governs the sale itself. Special conditions will help one know the additional costs they may have to bear above the sale price, completion details as well as the buyer’s covenants.

It is also imperative to pay attention to the local authority searches. This will help you know of any liens or claims on the property. As the new owner you will be liable for the same as such it is important to note such.

Also note whether the property is being sold under vacant possession or it is tenanted property. If the property is tenanted ensure that all the Tenancy requirements have been met and study the Tenancy Agreements and you will be liable as the new landlord.

If the property is a Leasehold, it is of importance to know the rental costs of the property as well as service charges and any other management issues.

What are the risks of buying a property at auction?

Purchasing property at an auction has greater risks than buying through the conventional method of buying property, if not managed properly. Careful study of the legal packs and catalogue need to be done so as to try and mitigate the risks.

Some of the risks of buying property at an auction are:

1. Limited knowledge of the property

2. Overpaying for the property

3. Buying properties with problems

4. Extra costs hidden in the legal pack.

5. Unknowns surrounding auction terms and fees.

6. The failure to finance purchase of the property.

What are the fees for buying at auction?

Auction fees vary with the Auctioneers. However, the usual basic fees for Buyers are an administration fee which may be a percentage of the property or a fixed amount and a Buyer’s premium (which ranges from 10%- 30% of the sale price) plus 20% VAT.

For a Seller most Auctioneers charge an entry fee which is usually a fixed amount, the catalogue illustration or advertising as well as the Seller’s commission and 20% VAT.

How much are auction fees in UK?

Auction fees range from 2% of the sale price to 10% depending on the Auctioneer. The practice is this percentage is paid when a property sales. However, there are other fees which are usually fixed such as entry fee and advertising fee which will have to paid whether the property sells or not.

What is a legal Auction?

A sale of property that is open to the general public and sold to the highest bidder. A bid is an offer made by a person bidding for the property stating that he/she will pay a specific amount for the property on sale. It is conducted by an auctioneer, a person empowered to conduct such a sale. The underlying purpose of an auction sale is to obtain the best financial returns for the owner of the property and to allow free and fair competition among bidders.

Auction Legal pack Review cost?

Legal pack review fees are usually fixed amounts that range from £300 plus VAT to £500 plus VAT depending on the property and the timeframe within which the legal pack is expected to be prepared

The review of an auction pack includes:

1. The review of the available paperwork

2. Interpretation of the title documents

3. Providing a written report on title in plain English.

Why are Auction fees so high?

The convenience that comes with Auction sales is high. They are a faster method of selling property as they have time limits which also reduce the chances of chasing. They also give you a much higher likelihood of success given the exposure afforded to the property. A higher price for this method is justified.

The fees are also higher as some Auctioneers are in partnership with estate agents and will have to settle the Estate Agents fees after sale which are usually a 30-50% of the Auctioneers overall fees

Contact us with all your Legal Matters

Our Service Areas

Surrey

Essex

Nottinghamshire

West Sussex

East Sussex

Derbyshire

Leicestershire

Rutland

Hampshire

Kent

Isle of Wight

Lincolnshire