My previous conveyancer has given a fee estimate £1400 for fixed fee conveyancing in Berkeley. I’m looking to sell a modern detached home for £225,000. This sounds expensive. Is it in excess of the norm for conveyancing in Berkeley?

The estimate does seem marginally steep. If you shop around you may be able to shave off some of the cost by as much as a hundred pounds. That being said, you maylive to regret choosing an an unknown lawyer. Remember to be sure that the solicitor can also act for your lender. Do utilise our search tool to find a Berkeley conveyancing firm on the lender’s member panel which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Berkeley.

The owners of the house we are hoping to buy have instructed a conveyancing practitioner in Berkeley who has recommended a lock out agreement with a payment 6,000. Is it wise to enter into such agreements?

There are a couple of main drawbacks with entering into any lock out agreement (sometimes referred to as an exclusivity agreement) is that it can distract from progressing with the conveyancing process, so in the absence of it needing minimal or no negotiation then it may turn out to be a cause of frustration and delay. It is not promoted by Berkeley conveyancing solicitors for this reason. A further concern is the extent of the remedies available - an aggrieved buyer is not likely to obtain injunctive relief to prohibit the owner disposing of the property to a third party, so the only remedy open via the agreement will be the reimbursement of abortive charges and, in restricted circumstances, the additional payment of penalties.

I am the registered owner of a freehold property in Berkeley but nevertheless invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Berkeley and has limited impact for conveyancing in Berkeley but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the establishment of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 is to be extinguished.

I need some fast conveyancing in Berkeley as I am faced with pressure to complete in less than one month. A home loan is not required. Is it possible to escape the need for conveyancing searches to save fees and time?

As you are are a mortgage free purchaser you have the choice not to have searches carried out although no lawyer would advise that you don't. Drawing on years of experience of conveyancing in Berkeley the following are examples of issues that can be revealed and adversely impact future mortgageability: Refused Planning Applications, Overdue Fees, Outstanding Grants, Unadopted Roads,...

I used Wolstenholmes a few years past for my conveyancing in Berkeley. I now require my papers but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Berkeley of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.