When can the exchange of contracts take place for residential conveyancing in Bicester and do I need to attend the lawyers branch?

If you are near to our conveyancing solicitors in Bicester you are invited in to sign documents. That being said, the law practices we work with supply a countrywide conveyancing service and provide just as comprehensive and professional a job for you when communicating with you electronically. The signing of the contract is not when everything is set in stone. Signing on the dotted line is just a prerequisite for the conveyancer to address the formalities at the suitable time, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The procedure is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where an extended "chain" is in play, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Bicester)to be in the office at the appropriate time.

My grandmother passed away six months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the property in Bicester. The house had a relatively small loan left on it of around £4500. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Barclays, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?

Where you plan to refinance then Barclays will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Barclays conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Barclays conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Barclays mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

Is it best to go with a Bicester conveyancing lawyer based in the vicinity that I am buying? An old friend can deal with the legal formalities but her office is 300miles away.

The benefit of a local Bicester conveyancing firm is that you can attend the office to execute documents, deliver your ID and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local insight which is a bonus. However it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have used your friend and in the main were impressed that should outweigh using an unknown Bicester conveyancing lawyer just because they are Bicester based.

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Bicester. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Bicester - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Bicester - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

This question is useful as a) areas can cause problems in the building as the common areas may begin to deteriorate if repairs remain unpaid b) if the leasehold owners have an issue with the running of the building you will need to have full disclosure Who takes charge for maintaining and repairing the building? Best to be warned if fixing the lift or some other significant cost is due shortly to be shared amongst the leasehold owners and will dramatically increase the the maintenance costs or require a specific invoice.

My boyfriend is purchasing a shared ownership flat in Bicester. He has received a fee estimate by the solicitor connected to the estate agents and it came to £1300 . It was 9 years ago I sold and bought a house and the fee was £440. Have costs really escalated to that extent?

What does the conveyancing estimate include? Is it just for the legal fees, or what you will be paying in total (for example Bicester searches, land registry fees, etc)