I am helping my step-mother sell her flat in Nottingham. Does the solicitor order an EPC or should I organise this?

Following the demise of Home Packs, EPC’s became a required component of selling a property. An EPC needs to be to hand in advance of the property being advertised. This is not something that conveyancers normally arrange. Where you are instructing a Nottingham conveyancing lawyer they might be able to arrange energy assessments given their relationships with long established local energy assessors

We are due to move property in July. Should my conveyancing solicitor liaise with the removal company on the day of completion. On a separate note, can you put forward a removal company in Nottingham. Conveyancing lawyer was chosen prior to coming across your website.

On the day of completion you will need to collect the keys from your selling agent but this can only occur once the previous owners solicitors inform the agent that they have the completion monies and the keys can be passed over. Subsequently you should inform the removal company that you are ready to move in. As a matter of policy we do not suggest a particular removal company but can assist you in finding a conveyancing in Nottingham or a firm with expertise in conveyancing in Nottingham.

It is not clear whether my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called my Nottingham building society branch on a couple of occasions and was advised it wasn't a problem and they will lend. My Nottingham conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- called and was told they will not lend in accordance with their specific requirements. I have no idea who is right.

As long as the lawyer is on the mortgage company approved list, she or he must adhere to the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook requirements for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

It has been 2 months since my purchase conveyancing in Nottingham concluded. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £170,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the residence from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I'm buying my first flat in Nottingham with a loan from Bank of Scotland. The developers refused to budge the price so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The estate agent told me not inform my conveyancer about the deal as it will jeopardize my loan with the lender. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I am using a search engine for the words conveyancing in Nottingham it reveals many conveyancersin the area. With so much choice what is the best way to find the suitable property lawyer for me?

The preferential way of seeking a suitable conveyancer is via personal recommendation, so enquire of colleagues and relatives who have bought a property in Nottingham or a respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Costs for conveyancing in Nottingham differ, so it's sensible to request at least three fee estimates from varying types of solicitors. Dont forget to clarify that the charges are assured not to escalate.

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Nottingham what are the most common lease defects?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Nottingham. All leases are drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain sections are erroneous. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.

A defective lease will likely cause issues when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Halifax, Skipton Building Society, and Nottingham Building Society all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to pull out.

I bought a studio flat in Nottingham, conveyancing having been completed in 2007. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Comparable flats in Nottingham with over 90 years remaining are worth £221,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2094

With 70 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.