I have given 2 months notice to my current landlord and must be out of my rented flat in Crystal Palace by 4/7/2024. Conveyancing for my house purchase is underway. Is it possible to complete in 4 weeks as I wish to avoid having to move into short term accommodation?

The normal practice is not to serve notice on a rental unless your lawyer suggests that you should. If you have not previously done so, speak to your conveyancer and ask them to they chase the sellers side, try to a target completion date that all parties will aim towards

I can see plenty of here concerning conveyancing in Crystal Palace but what is your top tip for selecting the right conveyancer in Crystal Palace

Do not opt for the cheapest Crystal Palace conveyancing fees. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Aldermore, do Crystal Palace conveyancing practitioners incur an annual charge to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are unaware of any bank fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

After what feels like an age I have had an offer on a maisonette in Crystal Palace accepted, but there is a chain. The sellers have offered on somewhere, however it’s not yet agreed to, and are looking at other apartments in the pipeline. I have chosen a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Crystal Palace. What do I do now? When should I get the mortgage application with Aldermore started?

It is understandable to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (home loan application is approx one thousand pounds, then survey, Crystal Palace conveyancing search fees, etc). First, you must check that your conveyancing practitioner is on the Aldermore approved list. Concerning the subsequent steps this very much dictated by the uniqueness of your case, motivation for this property and on the state of the market. During a hot market many buyers would apply for the mortgage with Aldermore and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their conveyancing practitioner to proceed with the conveyancing in Crystal Palace.

I have been told that property searches are the main cause of hinderance in Crystal Palace conveyancing transactions. Is this right?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature within the top 10 causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Local searches are unlikely to feature in any delay in conveyancing in Crystal Palace.

Given that I am about to spend £400,000 on a property in Crystal Palace I wish to talk to a solicitor regarding thehome move prior to giving the go ahead to the firm. Can this be arranged?

We could not agree more - we would be delighted to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the solicitor due to be doing your conveyancing in Crystal Palace.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is unique person, not a matter number. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are quoted for residential conveyancing in Crystal Palace should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.

I have just started marketing my basement apartment in Crystal Palace.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated however I have recently had a quarterly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear the invoice as usual because all rents and service charges will be apportionedas part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially