My friend's sister is a property lawyer. I hope that I can be offered friends and family rates for conveyancing, but if not, what kind of fees should I be expecting for conveyancing in Dronfield?

It’s prudent to obtain two or three conveyancing quotes. Do use our search tool on this page. Whilst prices may contrast greatly but service levels do differ between law firms as is the case with the vast majority of professional services.

Last May we completed a house move in Dronfield. We have since encountered a number of problems with the house which we believe were omitted in the conveyancing searches. Do we have any recourse? What searches should? have been conducted as part of conveyancing in Dronfield?

It is not clear from the question as what problems have arisen and if they are unique to conveyancing in Dronfield. Conveyancing searches and due diligence initiated during the buying process are carried out to help avoid problems. As part of the process, the vendor completes a form called a Seller’s Property Information Form. If the information turns out to be misleading, you could possibly take legal action against the vendor for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Dronfield.

What is the optimum way to find out if the solicitor handling my conveyancing in Dronfield is on the mortgage lender’sapproved panel? I am looking to avoid the situation of having one lawyer for me and one for Platform Home Loans Ltd thus paying £192.00 in another set of legal fees.

You should take advantage of the search tool on this web page. Pick the mortgage company and type ‘Dronfield’ or your location and you will see numerous solicitors based in Dronfield or by proximity to you.

Am I better off to use a Dronfield conveyancing practitioner in close proximity to the house I am buying? We have a good friend who can perform the legal formalities but they are based approximately 350kilometers drive away.

The benefit of a high street Dronfield conveyancing practice is that you can attend the office to execute paperwork, hand in your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. Having local Dronfield know how is a bonus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If you know people who used your friend and on the whole were happy that must outweigh using an unknown Dronfield conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being Dronfield based.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Dronfield. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Dronfield Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

Who manages the block? The best form of lease arrangement is if the freehold interest is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this arrangement the lessees enjoy being in charge if their destiny and although a managing agent is often employed where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. Make sure you investigate if there are any onerous prohibitions in the lease. For example it is reasonably common in Dronfield leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in Dronfield. If you love the flatin Dronfield yet your cat is not allowed to move with you then you will be presented with a difficult choice.