We are buying a 1 bedroom flat in Gloucester with a mortgage. We have a Gloucester conveyancer, however the bank says he's not on their "panel". It appears that we have no choice but to use one of the mortgage company panel solicitors or retain our Gloucester conveyancer as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to represent them. This feels very unfair; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your Gloucester conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

I am helping my step-mother sell her flat in Gloucester. Will the conveyancing solicitor commission an energy assessment or do I organise this?

After the demise of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates was maintained a mandatory component of selling a property. An energy performance certificate needs to be commissioned prior to the property being advertised. It is not as aspect of the sale process that law firms normally arrange. If you are using a Gloucester conveyancing lawyer they might help arrange energy performance certificates due to their contacts with reputable Gloucester accredited person

I am buying a victorian detached house in Gloucester. Our aim is to convert the garage to a playroom at the house.Will the conveyancing process include checks to ascertain if these works are prohibited?

Your property lawyer will check the registered title as conveyancing in Gloucester will occasionally reveal restrictions in the title documents which prohibit certain changes or need the consent of a 3rd party. Some additions call for local authority planning permissions and approval under the building regulations. Certain areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or affect extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.

is it true that all Gloucester solicitors on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel are governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Leeds Building Society approved list of solicitors they would need to be overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Some mortgage companies do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be governed by the CLC.

I require quick conveyancing in Gloucester as I have pressure to sign on the dotted line inside 4 weeks. Thankfully I do not need a mortgage. Is it possible to avoid the conveyancing searches to save money and time?

If.Given you are are a cash purchaser you have the choice not to have searches carried out although no law firm would recommend that you don't. Drawing on our experience of conveyancing in Gloucester the following are instances of issues that can appear and therefore affect future mortgageability: Refused Planning Applications, Overdue Charges, Outstanding Grants, Unadopted Roads,...

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and found one close by in Gloucester I like with a park and station in the vicinity, however it only has 52 years on the lease. There is not much else in Gloucester in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

Should you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Gloucester what are the most frequent lease defects?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Gloucester. All leases are drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain sections are not included. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

Insurance obligations Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

You could encounter a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Accord Mortgages Ltd, The Mortgage Works, and Godiva Mortgages Ltd all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, obliging the buyer to pull out.

Gloucester Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before buying

In the main the outlay for major works tend not to be built into the maintenance charges, although some managing agents in Gloucester require tenants to contribute towards a sinking fund and this is used to offset against larger repairs or maintenance. Does this lease have more than 80 years left? If a Gloucester lease has fewer than eighty years it will impact the value of the property. Check with your mortgage company that they are willing to to proceed given the lease term. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will almost definitely need a lease extension sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of how much this would cost. For most Gloucesterlease extensions you will need to own the residence for a couple of years in order to be eligible to carry out a lease extension.