I was recommended to a conveyancer who has quoted £1400 for no completion no fee conveyancing in Dunstable. I’m selling a Georgian house for £275,000. Is this too much? Is it in excess of the average fee for conveyancing in Dunstable?

The charges are a little high. Where you are willing to invest time scrutinising charges you might shave off some of the expense by perhaps £125. That being said, you mightlive to regret opting for an an unknown solicitor. If is important to be sure that the solicitor can act for your mortgage company. You can employ our search tool to find a Dunstable conveyancing firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Dunstable.

We were going to get a OIP from Barclays this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Barclays recommend any Dunstable solicitors on the Barclays conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Dunstable solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Barclays conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Barclays through the process.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Dunstable. I have a mortgage agreed with Nationwide. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Nationwide, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Nationwide conveyancing panel.

Our sealed bid on a property in Dunstable has been accepted, but there is a chain. The vendors have offered on a property, however it’s not yet tied up, and are looking at other apartments in the pipeline. I have chosen a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Dunstable. What do I do now? When should I get the mortgage application with UBS going?

It is normal to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is in the region of one thousand pounds, then survey, Dunstable conveyancing search fees, etc). First, you must ensure that your property lawyer is on the UBS approved list. Concerning the subsequent stages this very much dictated by the uniqueness of your case, attraction to this property and on the state of the market. In a rising market some buyers will apply for the mortgage with UBS and arrange for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they ask their conveyancer to proceed with the conveyancing in Dunstable.

Should our conveyancer be asking questions regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in Dunstable.

Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors dealing with homes in Dunstable. There are those who purchase a property in Dunstable, completely expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Conveyancers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a number of checks that can be carried out by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which will figure out the risks in Dunstable. The standard completed inquiry forms given to a purchaser’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a usual inquiry of the seller to discover if the property has historically flooded. If the premises has been flooded in past which is not notified by the vendor, then a buyer could issue a compensation claim as a result of such an inaccurate answer. A buyer’s solicitors may also conduct an enviro report. This will disclose if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional inquiries will need to be initiated.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Dunstable. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Dunstable

The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision.

What makes a Dunstable lease unacceptable for security purposes?

Leasehold conveyancing in Dunstable is not unique. All leases are drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain clauses are not included. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts. Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

A defective lease can cause issues when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Lloyds TSB Bank, Leeds Building Society, and TSB all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is defective they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to withdraw.

Dunstable Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should ask before buying

How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? Most Dunstable leasehold apartments will have a service charge for maintenance of the block set by the landlord. Where you purchase the flat you will have to meet this charge, normally in instalments throughout the year. This may be anything from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built buildings. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a significant sum, say around £25-£75 but you need to check as occasionally it can be surprisingly expensive.