Is there a reason why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Hexham costs more?

Hexham leasehold properties involve far more paperwork than a freehold purchase, and therefore takes more time to examine and advise upon.Conveyancing will involve the lease having to be checked which is usually a lengthy document, queries raised to ensure that the covenants and conditions have been observed. If it is a flat there will be a management company in existence and the accounts of this will need to be checked and enquiries raised to ensure it is operating efficiently and that all monies due have been paid by the Seller to the company and if not ensuring that money is paid up to date or the appropriate undertakings obtained.

How can we know in advance if a Hexham conveyancing solicitor on the Skipton panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Hexham getting recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always recommend that you speak with the lawyer conducting your transaction.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Hexham off the council. I have a mortgage offer with Clydesdale. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Clydesdale, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel.

I have finally had an offer on a maisonette in Hexham agreed to, the sellers do nevertheless have a dependent purchase. The vendors have offered on on an apartment, but it’s not been accepted yet, and are looking at other properties in the pipeline. I have selected a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Hexham. What do I do now? When do I get the mortgage application with Skipton going?

It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses prematurely (home loan application is approx £1k, then valuation, Hexham conveyancing search fees, etc). First, you must check that your solicitor is on the Skipton conveyancing panel. As to the next stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your transaction, attraction to the property and on the state of the market. During a buoyant market some purchasers will apply for a home loan with Skipton and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they ask their solicitor to proceed with searches.

I am buying a new build apartment in Hexham. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Set out below is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Hexham

Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £305k and identified one near me in Hexham I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Hexham in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term may be an issue. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you can ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.

My partner and I have just had an offer accepted on a property and had meeting on Tuesday with the Post Office for the mortgage. They warned us that when it comes to choosing a solicitor that unless they are on their approved list of conveyancers then we will incur an additional fee of £200. This is is due to the fact that they will then have to select a conveyancer to act on their behalf as well as the one we select for ourselves and we are liable for their costs. I have asked the Post Office to furnish me with a list so I can request quotes only from their approved conveyancers but was told that I need to check with each individual lawyer to see if they are on the panel. Is there a simple way of finding out who is on a lender panel?

Ask the Post Office what their criteria for joining their panel is for a conveyancer.Thereafter ask the property lawyer of your choice whether they meet the criteria and have they acted on mortgages for the Post Office previously. Where the answer to those is yes, then just double check with the Post Office. Alternatively please utilise our search tool and we should be able to find you a conveyancing practitioner in Hexham on the panel for the Post Office.