Can you explain why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Old Windsor costs more?

Old Windsor leasehold properties involve far more paperwork than a freehold purchase, and therefore takes more time to examine and advise upon.Conveyancing will involve the lease having to be checked which is usually a lengthy document, queries raised to ensure that the covenants and conditions have been observed. If it is a flat there will be a management company in existence and the accounts of this will need to be checked and enquiries raised to ensure it is operating efficiently and that all monies due have been paid by the Seller to the company and if not ensuring that money is paid up to date or the appropriate undertakings obtained.

My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Old Windsor. Conveyancing is needed. What are my next steps?

Now that you have exchanged you should hire the services of a conveyancing lawyer quickly as you now have a fast approaching a drop dead date to complete the property. All auction property will have an associated auction set of papers. This should include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. If you have purchased leasehold premises the legal papers should include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing paperwork specific to leasehold premises. You should pass this on to the lawyer working for you ASAP. You also need to ensure that that you have the requisite funding in place to complete on the on the contractual date .

My wife and I buying a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in Old Windsor. Our aim is to carry out a loft conversion at the house.Will legal due diligence on the property include investigations to determine if these alterations are allowed?

Your conveyancer will check the deeds as conveyancing in Old Windsor can occasionally reveal restrictions in the title deeds which prevent categories of alterations or need the consent of a 3rd party. Certain extensions need local authority planning permissions and approval under the building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

I have finally had an offer on a flat in Old Windsor accepted, the sellers do nevertheless have an associated purchase. The owners have offered on a flat, however it’s not yet agreed to, and are looking at other flats booked. I have instructed a local conveyancing solicitor in Old Windsor. What do I do now? At what stage do I apply for the mortgage with Principality?

It is understandable to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses too early (home loan application is approx £1k, then valuation, Old Windsor conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you should ensure that your property lawyer is on the Principality approved list. Concerning the subsequent phase this very much depends on the specifics of your case, desire for the property and on the state of the market. In a buoyant market the majority of home buyers would apply for the mortgage with Principality and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they ask their solicitor to proceed with searches.

I have been told that property searches are the primary reason for hinderance in Old Windsor conveyancing transactions. Is that correct?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released findings of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature within the most frequent causes of hindrances during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are unlikely to feature in any delay in conveyancing in Old Windsor.

I have recentlydiscovered that Arc property Solicitors have been shut down. They conducted my conveyancing in Old Windsor for a purchase of a freehold house 18 months ago. How can I establish that my home is registered correctly in the name of the former proprietor?

The quickest method to see if the property is registered to you, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Old Windsor conveyancing specialists.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Old Windsor conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Old Windsor conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Old Windsor conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be useful:

If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?

Leasehold Conveyancing in Old Windsor - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

It would be wise to enquire if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For example plenty of leases prohibit pets being allowed in certain buildings in Old Windsor. If you like the propertyin Old Windsor but your cat can’t move with you then you have a very hard compromise. Please inform me if there are any major works in the planning that could increase the maintenance fees? Where a Old Windsor lease has no more than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the flat. It is worth checking with your mortgage company that they are happy with remaining years on the lease. A short lease means that you will most likely have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out what this would cost. Remember, in most cases you would need to own the residence for two years before you are entitled to extend the lease.