We were about to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Putney endorsed by you but stumbled across some other quotes via the web appear less pricey – how come?

You can find plenty of conveyancing organisations advertising pretending to offer cut-price conveyancing, but additionalfees result in the completion fee being escalated. According to the Legal Ombudsman fees set out in terms of business should be equitable invoiced The conveyancers that we put forward for conveyancing in Putney clearly state all charges for the property you plan topurchase.

This question may be naive but I am new to the home moving as FTB of a ground floor flat in Putney. Do I receive the keys to the property on completion from my conveyancer? If so, I will appoint a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Putney?

On the day of completion you do not need to attend the conveyancers office in Putney. Your solicitors will transfer the purchase money to the seller's lawyers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you should be called to collect the keys from the Estate Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen early afternoon.

I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in January 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Virgin Money are being a right pain. The Putney solicitor who is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Virgin Money are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Virgin Money have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Virgin Money have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Virgin Money may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

I have instructed a Putney conveyancing practitioner having checked that they are on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Lloyds will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Lloyds will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your property lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Putney postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Lloyds, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Putney.

I am one month into a leasehold purchase having been referred to solicitors by the high street agent to execute conveyancing in Putney. I am am starting to be dissatisfied with the level of service. Can you you assist me in finding new lawyers?

A lawyer would need to be really poor in order to consider changing them. Has the mortgage offer been issued? In the event that it has you will need to inform them of the new conveyancer and get the offer are re-issued. The solicitor ideally should be on the lenders panel to avoid added fees and complications. So that should be your starting point. Our search tool should help you find a lender approved conveyancer for your home move in Putney

Notwithstanding our best efforts, we have been unsuccessful in trying to purchase the freehold in Putney. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

Where there is a absentee landlord or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to decide the amount due.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Putney premises is 19 St. Margarets Crescent in August 2010. the tribunal was of the view that the premium to be paid by the leaseholder for the freehold reversion was £51,983.00 This case was in relation to 3 flats. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 66.25 years.

What makes a Putney lease defective?

Leasehold conveyancing in Putney is not unique. All leases are individual and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain clauses are not included. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the property Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

A defective lease can cause problems when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Santander, The Mortgage Works, and Clydesdale all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to withdraw.

Developers have recommended to me a conveyancer and I've received an estimate from them. It's almost £300 less expensive than my own Putney conveyancing practitioner. What's the catch?

Developers often have lists of conveyancers who expedite matters and who know the builder's paperwork and solicitor. As many developers offer an inducement to choose a preferred lawyer for this reason, any increased charges can be avoided and a builder will not put forward a conveyancing factory and run the risk of having the transaction stall when they want exchange within a tight time frame. A counter-argument for not agreeing to use the recommended conveyancer is that they may prove unwilling to 'push' your interests at the risk of alienating the developer. Where you have concerns that this may be the situation you should stick with your local Putney conveyancing practitioner.