I am assisting my mother sell her property in Hartford. Will the conveyancer commission an EPC or it is for the seller to see to?

After the demise of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates was maintained a compulsory part of selling a house. An energy performance certificate needs to be commissioned in advance of the property being advertised. It is not as aspect of the sale process that conveyancers ordinarily organise. If you are instructing a Hartford conveyancing solicitor they may help arrange energy assessments given their contacts with long established Hartford assessors

I am the single recipient of my late grandmother’s will and I have everything in my name alone, including the house in Hartford. The Hartford property was put into my name in December. I want to move. I do know about the CML 6 month 'rule', meaning my proprietorship could be considered the same way as if I'd bought the house in December. Is the property unsalable for six months?

The CML handbook requires solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you may be caught by that. Some mortgage companies would take a sensible view as this clause is primarily there to pick up on subsales or the quick reselling of properties.

After shopping around on the internet I have found a Hartford property lawyer having checked that they are on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Lloyds will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Lloyds will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Hartford surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

How does conveyancing in Hartford differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Hartford approach us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is built. This is because builders in Hartford typically purchase the real estate, 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 Hartford or who has acted in the same development.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in last month in what should have been a simple, no chain conveyancing. Hartford is the location of the property. Is there any advice you can impart?

Flying freeholds in Hartford are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Hartford you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Hartford may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.

Is it possible to swap solicitor as I need to choose one who is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. I instructed a local conveyancing solicitor in Hartford five minutes from me but she is not approved by Leeds Building Society

It would be our pleasure to help you find a conveyancing solicitor in Hartford on the Leeds Building Society panel. Please note that the solicitors that we work with do not pay us commission if you instruct them and are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Hartford. Using the find a conveyancing solicitor tool on this website, you can compare costs for conveyancing solicitors in Hartford and beyond.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Hartford. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Leasehold Conveyancing in Hartford - A selection of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? Its a good idea to find out as much as possible concerning the managing agents as they can either make your life much simpler or a lot more difficult. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you will be in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to daily matters such as the tidiness of the communal areas. You should not be afraid to ask other tenants what they think of their management. In conclusion, be sure you discover the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the relevant party and specifically what it includes.