I am helping my step-mother sell her house in Hillingdon. Will the conveyancer arrange the EPC or do I organise this?
Following the abolition of Home Packs, energy performance certificates remained a compulsory part of selling a house. An energy assessment should be commissioned prior to the property being marketed. It is not a task that law firms ordinarily arrange. If you are instructing a Hillingdon conveyancing solicitor they may help arrange energy assessments due to their relationships with long established Hillingdon accredited person
My fiancee and I are at the point of looking at flats in Hillingdon and I am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a property lawyer in place at this point? I am planning to take a home loan with Kent Reliance.
It would be prudent to start your search sooner rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the estate agent. Given that you are taking out a mortgage with Kent Reliance, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Hillingdon off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with RBS. 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 use 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 RBS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the RBS conveyancing panel.
What does a local search reveal regarding the property we're purchasing in Hillingdon?
Hillingdon conveyancing often commences with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search organisations for example Searchflow The local search plays a central role in most Hillingdon conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any nasty surprises after you move into your property. The search should supply data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen subject headings.
Me and my brother own a 4 bedroom Georgian house in Hillingdon. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Bank of Ireland. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold with the matching address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Hillingdon and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also question the situation with the conveyancing solicitor who conducted the work.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Hillingdon I like with a park and transport links nearby, the downside is that it only has 61 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Hillingdon suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?
Should you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be problematic. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least twenty four months you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.
My husband and I are new on the property ladder - had an offer accepted, yet the agent has warned us that the vendor will only go ahead if we instruct the agent's chosen lawyers as they want an ‘expedited deal’. We would rather use a local conveyancer used to conveyancing in Hillingdon
It is improbable the vendors are behind this. If they want ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a motivated purchaser is is going to put the whole deal at risk. Speak to the vendors direct and explain that (a)you are genuine purchasers (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you have nothing to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you will continue to appoint your preferred Hillingdon conveyancing solicitors - rather thanthe ones that will provide their negotiator at the agency a introducer fee or meet his conveyancing figures set by senior management.