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

If you are buying a property in Bestwood your lawyer will request that you to provide them with funds to cover the search fees. Normally this is asked for to cover the fees of the Local Authority Search. When the down payment is payable against the sale price then this will be required immediately before contracts are exchanged. The final balance that is needed should be transferred shortly before completion.

There is lots of here regarding conveyancing in Bestwood but what is your top tip for finding the right conveyancer in Bestwood

Do not opt for the cheapest Bestwood conveyancing fees. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. 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 recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Bestwood. My mortgage broker suggested a solicitor. I paid an on account payment of £200. A couple of days later, the property 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.

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

Yorkshire BS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Yorkshire BS 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. Your lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Bestwood postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Yorkshire BS, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Bestwood.

I note that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Am I compelled to take this when buying a house in Bestwood? or I am told that there is a law dating back centuries that means some house owners living in a parish church boundary will be compelled to contribute towards repairs to the chancel within the church. Is this a legitimate concern for conveyancing in Bestwood?

Unless a prior purchase of the house took place after 12 October 2013 you can take it that lawyers delivering conveyancing in Bestwood to remain recommending a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Bestwood with a mortgage from Godiva Mortgages Ltd. The developers would not reduce the amount so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The sale representative told me not disclose to my conveyancer about this deal as it may affect my mortgage with Godiva Mortgages Ltd. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Bestwood. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Bestwood ?

Most houses in Bestwood are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Bestwood in which case you should be shopping around for a Bestwood conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer will advise you fully on all the issues.