In what way does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Allestree? Is this really warranted?

You are right in these requests have nothing to do with conveyancing in Allestree. However these days you can not proceed with any conveyancing transaction in the absence providing evidence of your identity. Ordinarily this takes the form of a either your passport or driving licence as well as a utility bill. Remember if you are supplying your driving licence as evidence of ID it must be both the paper part as well as the photo card part, one is not satisfactory without the other.

Verification of the origin of money is required under Money Laundering Regulations. Please do not be offended when you are asked to produce this as your conveyancing solicitor will need to have this information on file. Your Allestree conveyancing solicitor will require evidence of proof of funds before they are able to accept any money from you into their client account and they should also ask additional queries regarding the source of monies.

There are plenty of conveyancing solicitors in Allestree but how do I know who's good?

It would be unwise to be tempted by the lowest Allestree conveyancing quote. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Allestree. I have a mortgage offer with Santander. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Santander, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Santander conveyancing panel.

Having read lots of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Allestree solicitor - who is on the Principality conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?

Principality will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Principality 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. You may wish to consider appointing your own Allestree surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

A colleague recommended that where I am purchasing in Allestree I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is occasionally included in the estimate for your Allestree conveyancing searches. It is a large report of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out significant information about Allestree around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Allestree Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Allestree Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Allestree.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a quick, no chain conveyancing. Allestree is the location of the property. Is there any advice you can impart?

Flying freeholds in Allestree are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Allestree you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Allestree may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.

How and when do I cover the costs of the Stamp Duty Land Tax payable for my Allestree house purchase?

Your solicitor should fill out a Land Transaction Return Form for you as part of your Allestree purchase transaction for signature. On completion your solicitor will submit the Land Transaction application to the Tax Authorities and - as long as they have the money - settle any land tax due for you.