Why do I have to pay up front for conveyancing in Stockbridge?

If you are buying a property in Stockbridge your solicitor will ask you put them with funds to cover the search fees. This will be the total of the cost of the Local Authority Search. If any deposit is as part of the purchase price then this should be needed immediately prior to contracts are exchanged. Any further balance that is needed should be transferred a few days ahead of the completion date.

Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Lloyds. Stockbridge conveyancing practitioners are appointed. How long does it take for Lloyds to send the offer to the conveyancer?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Lloyds done the survey? Have you advised Lloyds as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Lloyds conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.

I recently had an offer agreed on an apartment in Stockbridge. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an upfront payment of £225. Shortly after, the lawyer contacted me to say that they were not on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Co-operative panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Coventry BS have agreed my home loan in principle, my offer on a flat in Stockbridge has been agreed to, what happens next?

The estate agent will wish to know who your solicitors are (be sure the lawyers are on the lender’s panel). Call up Coventry BS or the financial adviser and complete any relevant forms. Coventry BS will appoint a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or owners to schedule an appointment. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes about ten days for the mortgage offer to be issued. Coventry BS will issue the offer to you and your solicitors. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Stockbridge.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Stockbridge. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Set out below are examples of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Stockbridge

Please supply a car parking plan. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier?

I decided to have a survey carried out on a property in Stockbridge prior to retaining conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. The surveyor advised that some lenders may refuse to give a mortgage on a flying freehold house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to call us we can check with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Stockbridge. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

My husband and I are novice buyers - agreed a price, yet the estate agent told us that the vendor will only issue a contract if we instruct their preferred conveyancers as they want an ‘expedited deal’. My instinct tells me that we should use a local solicitor who is familiar with conveyancing in Stockbridge

We suspect that the seller is unaware of this request. If they desire ‘a quick sale', turning down a serious purchaser is not the way to achieve this. Speak to the vendors direct and make sure they comprehend that (a)you are genuine purchasers (b)you are ready to progress, with mortgage lined up © you are chain free (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you will continue to appoint your own,trusted Stockbridge conveyancing solicitors - rather thanthe ones that will give their negotiator at the agency a introducer fee or hit his conveyancing thresholds set by senior management.