I chose a Bamburgh based lawyer for my conveyancing in Bamburgh yesterday. After carefully reading the Ts and Cs I notewe are liable for costs even where the conveyance does not complete. Would I be best advised to use an on-line firm who offer no completion no charge conveyancing in Bamburgh?

It is usually ‘give and take’ in that if "No Sale No Fee" is advertised then the conveyancing charges will generally be uplifted to cover those transactions that do not go ahead. Also remember that these arrangements tend not to cover expenses by way of example Bamburgh conveyancing search costs.

Why do I have to pay up front when it comes to conveyancing in Bamburgh?

If you are buying a property in Bamburgh your lawyer will ask you to provide them with funds to cover the search fees. This will be the total of the cost of the Local Authority Search. If any down payment is payable against the purchase price then this should be required shortly in advance of contracts are exchanged. The closing balance that is due should be sent to your lawyer shortly before completion.

My wife and I purchased a 4 bedroom Victorian property in Bamburgh. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Chelsea Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Bamburgh and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also enquire as to the situation with the conveyancing practitioner who completed the work.

We're first time buyers - agreed a price, yet the selling agent has warned us that the owners will only issue a contract if we appoint the agent's recommended conveyancers as they are insisting on an ‘expedited deal’. Our preferred option is to instruct a family conveyancer used to conveyancing in Bamburgh

We suspect that the seller is unaware of this ultimatum. Should the seller desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a motivated purchaser is going to damage their objectives. Try to communicate with the vendors directly and make sure they comprehend that (a)you are motivated purchasers (b)you are ready to progress, with mortgage lined up © you are chain free (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you will continue to instruct your preferred Bamburgh conveyancing lawyers - as opposed tothe ones that will earn the negotiator at the agency a kickback or hit his conveyancing figures pre-set by corporate headquarters.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Bamburgh. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Bamburgh Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Is the freehold reversion owned collectively by the tenants? Can you inform me if there are any major works on the horizon that will increase the service charges? Many Bamburgh leasehold properties will be liable to pay a service charge for maintenance of the block levied by the management company. Where you purchase the apartment you will have to meet this amount, normally periodically throughout the year. This may differ from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common areas. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a large figure, say around £25-£75 but you should to check it because occasionally it can be prohibitively expensive.