As someone not used to the East Coker conveyancing process what’s your top tip you can impart concerning the ownership transfer in East Coker

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in East Coker or throughout Somerset is an adversarial experience. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is plenty of room for conflict between you and others involved in the transaction. For example, the seller, property agent and sometimes your bank. Choosing a lawyer for your conveyancing in East Coker an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY party in the legal process whose responsibility is to act in your best interests and to protect you.

We are witnessing a distinct ongoing adversarial element to conveyancing- someone must be at fault for the process being so protracted. You must always trust your conveyancer above all other parties in the home moving process.

I am helping my step-mother sell her property in East Coker. Will the conveyancer arrange the energy performance certificate or do I organise this?

After the abolition of HIPs, EPC’s was left as a mandatory element of moving property. An energy assessment needs to be to hand before the property is marketed. This is not a task that conveyancers normally arrange. If you are using a East Coker conveyancing lawyer they might help arrange energy assessments due to their relationships with reputable local energy assessors

I happen to be the only beneficiary of my late father’s estate with all property in now in my sole name, including the my former home in East Coker. The East Coker property was put into my name in November. I want to move. I understand that there is a CML 6 month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship will be treated the same way as though I had purchased the house in November. Will no one buy the property for half a year?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook obliges solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you might be caught by that. How sensible a view mortgage companies take of it, depend on the bank as this clause principally exists to identify the purchase and immediately sell or the quick reselling of properties.

I'm in the throws of looking at apartments in East Coker and I am now considering a potential offer. Should I already have a lawyer appointed at this point? I will be getting a mortgage with Skipton.

It would be prudent to commence your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the EA. Given that you are getting a mortgage with Skipton, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Skipton conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

How does conveyancing in East Coker differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build property in East Coker approach us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is constructed. This is because builders in East Coker 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 property lawyers 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 used to new build conveyancing in East Coker or who has acted in the same development.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and found one close by in East Coker I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, the downside is that it only has 52 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in East Coker suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be problematic. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in East Coker from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in East Coker can be bypassed where you instruct lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers’ lawyers.
If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Obtaining a duplicate share certificate can be a time consuming formality and frustrates many a East Coker conveyancing transaction. Where a reissued share certificate is necessary, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity. The majority of landlords or Management Companies in East Coker charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in East Coker. If there is a history of conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing.

East Coker Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

Is there a share of the freehold? On the whole the cost for major works are not included within service charges, albeit that there some managing agents in East Coker ask leasehold owners to pay into a sinking fund created for the specific purpose of building a fund for larger works. Who takes responsibility for maintaining and repairing the building?