Should our conveyancer be asking questions about flooding during the conveyancing in Walthamstow.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers carrying out conveyancing in Walthamstow. Some people will purchase a house in Walthamstow, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or sell the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Lawyers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a various checks that can be undertaken by the buyer or by their solicitors which will give them a better appreciation of the risks in Walthamstow. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms given to a buyer’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a usual question of the owner to find out if the property has ever been flooded. If flooding has previously occurred which is not disclosed by the owner, then a buyer may bring a legal claim for losses stemming from an inaccurate response. A buyer’s solicitors should also carry out an environmental report. This should indicate whether there is any known flood risk. If so, further investigations should be conducted.

I opted to have a survey completed on a property in Walthamstow in advance of retaining lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the house. The surveyor has said that some banks tend refuse to issue a mortgage on a flying freehold home.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different requirements from Nationwide. If you contact us we can investigate further with the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Walthamstow. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Walthamstow especially if they are familiar with such properties in Walthamstow.

Taking into account that I am about to part with £400,000 on a garden flat in Walthamstow I would like to have a conversation with the lawyer regarding thetransaction in advance of instructing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

Absolutely - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the lawyer who will be carrying out your conveyancing in Walthamstow.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is an important individual, not a file number. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are provided with for your conveyancing in Walthamstow should be the figure that you end up paying.

I have been sourcing a conveyancing practitioner in Walthamstow for my home move. Is there any facility to see a firm’s complaints history with the profession’s regulator?

Members of the public may search for published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from inquisitions started on or after Jan 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For records Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors history, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For callers outside the UK, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator may recorded telephone calls for training reasons.

I have just started marketing my basement apartment in Walthamstow.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a quarterly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is discharge the invoice as you normally would given that all rents and maintenance invoices should be allottedas part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process