My previous conveyancer has sent a quote for £995 for fixed fee conveyancing in Downend. I am looking to sell a Edwardian house for £300,000. Are these conveyancing fees excessive? Is it in excess of what I should be paying for conveyancing in Downend?

The charges are a little high. If you shop around you could trim some of the cost by say £125. On the other hand, you couldlive to regret opting for an an unknown solicitor. Don't forget to enquire the conveyancer can represent your lender. You can utilise our search tool to get a quote a Downend conveyancing company on the banks approved list of lawyers which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Downend.

I have given 2 months notice to my existing landlord and must leave my let out property in Downend by 3/9/2024. Conveyancing on my purchase is underway. How realistic is it to complete in 5 weeks as I wish to avoid having to move into short term accommodation?

Generally one should not serve notice on a rental unless your lawyer suggests that you should. If you have not previously done so, contact to your conveyancer and ask them to they apply pressure on the other solicitors, try to get a realistic time scale from them that everyone will look towards

We are planning on selling our house in Downend and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built on contaminated land. Any high street Downend conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers used a nationwide conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Downend. We have lived in Downend for 4 years we know that this is a non issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to seek confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. What do they say? You must enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)

How does conveyancing in Downend differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Downend come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is ready to move into. This is because developers in Downend usually buy the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Downend or who has acted in the same development.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the sale of our £450,000 maisonette in Downend in just under a week. The freeholder has quoted £384 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Downend?

Downend conveyancing on leasehold apartments typically involves fees being invoiced by managing agents :

Addressing pre-contract enquiries Where consent is required before sale in Downend Copies of the building insurance and schedule Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Downend leasehold property is £350. For Downend conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to supply answers.

Downend Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Where a Downend lease has no more than 80 years it will affect the value of the property. It is worth checking with your bank that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will almost definitely require a lease extension sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you will need to own the premises for a couple of years in order to be legally able to extend the lease. Is anyone aware of any major works in the planning that will likely increase the maintenance costs? Who is in charge of the block?