What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Ettington? Why is this being asked of me?

Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering laws require solicitors and licensed conveyancers to verify the ID of the person or body they are dealing with before they can accept their conveyancing retainer. The Terms of Engagement that you need to sign should reaffirm this. Your lawyer also has obligations to obtain certain documents in accordance with the CML Lenders Handbook requirements last updated on 1st December 2014. Should you are unwilling to supply identification documents, your conveyancer would not be able to accept instructions from you.

My wife and I are planning on selling our home in Ettington and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. A high street Ettington lawyer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the buyers instructed a factory type conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Ettington. We have lived in Ettington for six years we know of no issue. Should we contact our local Authority to obtain confirmation that there is no issue.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. What do they say? You need to check with 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 illness)

How does conveyancing in Ettington differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Ettington approach us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is finished. This is because house builders in Ettington 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 Ettington or who has acted in the same development.

I need to retain a conveyancing solicitor for some conveyancing in Ettington. I have land on a web site which looks to be the ideal solution If there is a chance to get all formalities done via web that would be preferable. Do I need to be wary? What should out be looking out for?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

I own a leasehold flat in Ettington. Conveyancing was completed in 21012. I have heard that I should not let the lease length fall too low. Why is that a problem?

Ettington leasehold properties are for a fixed term - often just under one hundred years when they are first granted. However a significant appartments in Ettington were constructed or converted in the 70’s80’s and so such leases now have under eighty years remaining. That may sound like a long time however Banks, Building Societies and other mortgage lenders on the whole need leases to have at least seventy five years left to be mortgageable. Accordingly when you come to sell the property you will need to extend the term of your lease if you are getting close to 75 years. To increase the saleability of your property you should be thinking about whether or not to extend your lease well in advance of selling the property. You should note that there are significant benefits to taking action before the lease hits eighty years as when the lease falls below 80 years the amount to be paid to extend starts to get a lot more expensive.