Me and my partner are purchasing a apartment in Caversham. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a lawyer? On the day of competition we will need to send money into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our monies?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

I can not work out if my lender requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Caversham building society branch on a couple of occasions and was informed it wasn't an issue and they would lend. My Caversham conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- called to say that they would not lend in accordance with their specific requirements. I have no idea who is right.

Your solicitor must comply with the CML Handbook section two conditions for your lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in January 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Santander are being problematic. The Caversham solicitor who is on the Santander conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Santander are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Santander have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Santander have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Santander may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and identified one close by in Caversham I like with a park and station nearby, the downside is that it's only got 49 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Caversham suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?

If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will be problematic. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you could ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

Are there any apps to help locate a Caversham solicitor on the HSBC Bank conveyancing panel? I am a keen cyclist and am prepared to travel upto 20miles to meet the lawyer.

Feel free to make use of the facility on this page. Please choose the bank and your location and you will see a number of Caversham conveyancing lawyers locally. We have listed some Caversham conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can telephone them to see whether they are on the HSBC Bank approved list

Should I go with a Caversham conveyancing practitioner based in the area that I am buying? We have a good friend who can conduct the legal formalities but his firm is located a couple of hundredkilometers away.

The benefit of a high street Caversham conveyancing practice is that you can drop in to sign documents, present your identification documents and apply pressure on them if necessary. Having local Caversham know how is a bonus. However it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who instructed your friend and the majority were impressed that must trump using an unknown Caversham conveyancing solicitor just because they are round the corner.

I’m about to sell my garden flat in Caversham. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, but I have just had a yearly service charge demand – Do I pay up?

It best that you pay the service charge as you normally would given that all ground rent and service charges should be allotted on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

Caversham Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

You should want to discover as much as you can regarding the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the owner of a leasehold property you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to day to day matters such as the upkeep of the common parts. Ask other people if they are happy with their management. Finally, investigate as to the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and precisely how they are spending the funds. What is the the remaining lease term?