I just acquired a flat at auction in Keighley. Conveyancing is needed. What is next?

Having for all intents and purposes signed on the dotted line you now have to choose a conveyancing practitioner soon as you now have a fast approaching a drop dead date to complete the conveyancing. An auction property will have an associated legal pack. This will likely include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. In the case of leasehold property the auction papers should contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing paperwork pertinent to a leasehold property. You should hand this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor at the earliest opportunity. Do make sure that you have funds in order to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

It is unclear whether my bank requires a lease extension. I have called my Keighley building society branch on numerous occasions and was informed it wasn't an issue and they will lend. My Keighley conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- called to say that they refuse to lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?

Your conveyancer must follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook section two requirements for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank 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 bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

After shopping around on the internet I have found a Keighley conveyancing practitioner having made sure that they are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Yorkshire BS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Yorkshire BS 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 Keighley 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.

I understand that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Do I need chancel insurance when buying a house in Keighley? or I am told that there is a law dating back centuries that means some house owners living in a parish church boundary may be liable to pay for maintenance towards the chancel in proximity to the church. Is this appropriate for conveyancing in Keighley?

Unless a prior purchase of the premises took place after 12 October 2013 you could assume that solicitors handling conveyancing in Keighley to continue to advocate a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Keighley in advance of appointing conveyancers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the house. My surveyor advised that some banks may not issue a mortgage on a flying freehold house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to call us we can investigate further with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Keighley. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

How do I use the search tool to locate a conveyancing lawyer in Keighley on the authorised to act for my lender?

Step one is to pick a lender such as Santander, Virgin Money or Clydesdale then type in your preferred area for instance Keighley. Conveyancing firms in Keighley and across England and Wales will then be shown.

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Keighley. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Keighley - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Keighley Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should ask before buying

Be sure to discover if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For instance some leases prohibit pets being permitted in certain buildings in Keighley. If you like the propertyin Keighley however your dog can’t make the move with you then you have a very difficult decision. Best to be warned if redecorating or some other significant cost is coming up to be shared between the leasehold owners and may well dramatically increase the the maintenance charges or necessitate a specific invoice. What is the maintenance charge and ground rent on the apartment?