Just contacted my conveyancing lawyer in Fulham who conducted the legals two years ago asking for a conveyancing costs illustration based on the same type of house sale & purchase (a leasehold premises and a freehold property) of similar values with a loan from Nottingham Building Society. It looks as though am now being quoted double. Am I right to be tempted to shop around for an alternative property lawyer?

The estimate does seem a little overpriced. If you shop around you could reduce the fees slightly by as much as £125. That being said, assuming were content with the legal work the firm gave you couldlive to rue choosing an an untested solicitor. Don't forget to enquire that the solicitor can represent Nottingham Building Society. You can use our search tool to choose a Fulham conveyancing firm on the Nottingham Building Society approved list of lawyers, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Fulham.

As someone unfamiliar with conveyancing in Fulham what is the number one tip you can give me concerning the ownership transfer in Fulham

Not many law firms or advisers will tell you this but conveyancing in Fulham and elsewhere in England and Wales is often a confrontational process. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there is lots of room for friction between you and others involved in the ownership transfer. For instance, the vendor, property agent and even potentially your bank. Selecting a lawyer for your conveyancing in Fulham an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE party in the transaction whose interest is to look after your legal interests and to protect you.

There is a worrying ongoing adversarial element to conveyancing- someone must be at fault for the process being so protracted. We recommend that you must always trust your lawyer ahead of the other players when it comes to the legal assignment of property.

We're in Fulham, First time buyers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is Aldermore , and our solicitor is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no property lawyer should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

I am close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our home in Fulham and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being constructed land that was not decontaminated. A high street Fulham lawyer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the purchasers used a factory type conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Fulham. Having lived in Fulham for 4 years we know of no issue. Should we contact our local Authority to obtain clarification that there is no issue.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You should 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 illness)

Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Fulham conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Fulham conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you talk with several firms including non Fulham conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be useful:

How experienced is the firm with lease extension legislation? If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?

I have given up trying to purchase the freehold in Fulham. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

in cases where there is a missing landlord or where there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to calculate the premium.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Fulham property is 66 and 66a Wardo Avenue in November 2012. The Tribunal determined that the sum of £8,048 is payable by the Applicants in respect of the price for the freehold of the property This case related to 2 flats. The remaining number of years on the lease was 93 years and 162 years.