Acquisition and Disposal of Estates, Farms, Properties and Land

If you are a farm business in a partnership or a company seeking to sell or if you wish to buy property as an individual or a company or a partnership or by trustees of a trust fund, we will guide you through the entire process and ensure the transaction is completed as speedily and efficiently as possible. Whether the property is merely bare land or includes the farmhouse and cottages, light industrial units or you are taking the farm as a going concern then Thompson Smith and Puxon, as a leading full service law firm, can assist you where the transaction includes taking over employees, farm machinery, equipment and livestock.

How can we help you?

Our agricultural and rural property team are expertly equipped to steer you through the various stages of the transaction. Preparation is often key before going to market and we often find that it is useful to arrange a site visit with the selling land agent at the outset to establish the boundaries and to identify the rights of access and any ransom strips, pipelines, electricity pylons and water supplies.

From advice and input into the heads of terms, undertaking the necessary due diligence and searches, dealing with any title queries or defects through to exchange of contracts, completion and post completion registration of documents at the Land Registry, our lawyers will ensure that your matter progresses as smoothly and speedily as possible and will keep you updated throughout the process.

Our areas of expertise

• Acquisition and disposals of estates, farms, properties and land
• Acting for complex farming partnerships
• Holdover required for crops and livestock, boundary issues, access, easements and rights of way
• Overage, option and pre-emption agreements
• Land swaps
• Agricultural tenancy matters, occupancies or tenancies
• Agri-environmental schemes (such as Environmental Land Management, Countryside Stewardship or Environmental Stewardship)
• Water abstraction and discharge licences
• Minerals and sporting rights

Our Fees

Once we have a full understanding of the work which needs to be carried out, we will provide an estimate of costs. Where this is not possible at the outset, we will provide an estimate for initial work and liaise with you to agree further costs when the extent of eventual work required has been identified taking account of your practical requirements and objectives. Our aim is to support you by offering advice at a cost effective price.