Why is leasehold purchase conveyancing in Isle of Sheppey costs more?

Isle of Sheppey 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.

My uncle passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the property in Isle of Sheppey. The house had a relatively small loan remaining of approximately £5k. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to UBS, pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?

Given you intend to re-mortgage then UBS will require that you use a conveyancer on the UBS conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your UBS conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the UBS mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

I am assisting my aunt sell her property in Isle of Sheppey. Will the solicitor commission the energy performance certificate or should I organise this?

Following the demise of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates was maintained a mandatory component of selling a property. An energy assessment must be to hand before the property is advertised. It is not as aspect of the sale process that law firms normally organise. If you are instructing a Isle of Sheppey conveyancing solicitor they might be willing to arrange energy assessments due to their relationships with reputable local assessors

I'm spending time looking at houses in Isle of Sheppey and I am about to put in an offer. Is it too early to have a solicitor in place? I am planning to take a mortgage with UBS.

You should start requesting conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. 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 contact information on to the selling agent. As you are seeking a mortgage with UBS, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the UBS conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

I can not fathom if my bank requires a lease extension. I have called my Isle of Sheppey bank branch on various occasions and was advised it wasn't an issue and they would lend. My Isle of Sheppey conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they will not lend based on their published requirements. I have no idea who is right.

The conveyancer must follow the CML Handbook Part 2 provisions for your lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

I am purchasing a new build house in Isle of Sheppey benefiting from help to buy. The builders refused to budge the price so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The sale representative suggested that I not to tell my conveyancer about this extras as it may impact my loan with the bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

Midway through the sale of a leasehold flat in Isle of Sheppey. Conveyancing lawyers are doing their job but we have been asked to pay an extortionate amount by the freeholder. To date we have paid £295.50 for a leasehold management information and then a further £200 plus VAT for additional questions supplied by the purchaser's lawyer.

Your solicitor will unlikely have any control over the extent of the fee for this information however the average fee for the information for Isle of Sheppey leasehold property is £395. For Isle of Sheppey conveyancing transactions it is usual for the owner to pay for these charges. The freeholder or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be content to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices disproportionate to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no legislation that mandates fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any statutory time frame by which they are required to provide the information.