I used Stirling Law a few years ago for my conveyancing in Gillingham. Now, I need my files however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Gillingham of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

How does conveyancing in Gillingham differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Gillingham approach us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is completed. This is because developers in Gillingham tend to acquire the land, 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 conveyancers 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 Gillingham or who has acted in the same development.

I am looking into buying my first house which is in Gillingham and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Gillingham. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Gillingham area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?

Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Gillingham. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found

Should I instruct a Gillingham conveyancing practitioner who is local to the property I am hoping to buy? I have an old university friend who can deal with the conveyancing however his firm is located 300kilometers away.

The primary upside of using a local Gillingham conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to execute documents, deliver your ID and apply pressure on them where appropriate. Having local Gillingham know how is a plus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who instructed your friend and they were impressed that should trump using an unknown Gillingham conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being local.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the disposal of our £250,000 apartment in Gillingham on Tuesday in a week. The managing agents has quoted £300 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Gillingham?

Gillingham conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes ordinarily results in fees being raised by freeholders :

Addressing pre-exchange enquiries Where consent is required before sale in Gillingham Supplying insurance information Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Gillingham leasehold premises is £350. For Gillingham conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to provide the information.

I inherited a 1 bedroom flat in Gillingham, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Gillingham with a long lease are worth £197,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2080

With only 55 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to range between £31,400 and £36,200 as well as professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.