About to purchase a new build apartment in Skewen. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Here are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Skewen

Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company?

I decided to have a survey carried out on a property in Skewen before appointing lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. Our surveyor has said that some mortgage companies tend refuse to grant a mortgage on such a house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can investigate further via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Skewen. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

Am I right to be wary about estate agents that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use an online conveyancing firm as opposed to a local Skewen conveyancing firm?

As with lots of service providers, often referrals from relatives can be extremely useful or valuable. Nevertheless there are numerous players in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, mortgage brokers and lenders may put forward lawyers to choose. On occasion the conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but occasionally there exists a commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You are free to select your own conveyancer. However, bear in mind that the majority of lenders specify a panel list of law firms you must use for the lender aspect of your conveyancing.

I need to find a conveyancing solicitor for residential conveyancing in Skewen. I happened to discover a site which appears to be the perfect solution If there is a chance to get all formalities done via email that would be ideal. Should I be concerned? What should out be looking out for?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Skewen with the purpose of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Skewen can be avoided where you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers’ lawyers.
If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a flat where there is a current dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as over as opposed to ongoing. If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s permission? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Skewen state that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such works. Should you fail to have the paperwork to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor before hand. Many landlords or managing agents in Skewen levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold home. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Skewen.

Skewen Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Plenty Skewen leasehold flats will incur a service bill for the upkeep of the building levied by the freeholder. Should you purchase the property you will have to meet this contribution, normally in instalments during the year. This may differ from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common grounds. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge to be met yearly, this is usually not a large figure, say approximately £50-£100 but you should to check as sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds. If a Skewen lease has fewer than eighty years it will affect the marketability of the apartment. Check with your lender that they are happy with the length of the lease. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will most likely have to extend the lease at some point and it is worth discovering how much this would cost. Remember, in most cases you would be required to have owned the premises for 24 months in order to be eligible to carry out a lease extension. Its a good idea to find out as much as you can regarding the company managing the block as they will either make your life much simpler or much more difficult. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you will be in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to day to day matters such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Don't be shy to ask other people whether they are happy with their service. On a final note, be sure you know the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the managing agents and specifically how they are spending that money.