I am in the throes of transferring my existing standard loan to a BTL Chelsea Building Society mortgage. The bank has said that I require a lawyer for this. I got in contact with my former Kingston upon Thames conveyancing practitioner who dealt with the legals when I previously acquired the house. The costs estimate sent of £500 is surprising as its a remortgage than a sale or purchase.

The estimate does seem a little steep. If you shop around you might trim some of the cost by say £100 plus VAT. That being said, if you were content with the legal work the firm gave you couldcome to regret choosing an an untested conveyancer. If is important to check the firm can represent Chelsea Building Society. You can employ our search tool to choose a Kingston upon Thames conveyancing firm on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Kingston upon Thames.

We have very assertive vendors who has recommended a lock out agreement with a down payment 6,000. Are such agreements sensible?

Lock out agreements are contracts binding a property vendor and prospective acquirer granting the buyer a ‘clear field’ to purchase the premises within an agreed time frame. Essentially, an exclusivity agreement is a contract stating that you will have a contract at a later time being the main conveyancing contract. It tends to be used for buyer protection though in many situations, the proprietor may stand to benefit from such agreements as well. There are various pros and cons to using an agreement but you need to check with your solicitor but beware that it may end up costing you extra in conveyancing charges. For this these agreements are not popular when it comes to conveyancing in Kingston upon Thames.

Will conveyancers ask for money on account for conveyancing in Kingston upon Thames?

If you are buying a property in Kingston upon Thames your solicitor will ask you place them with monies to cover the search fees. This will be the total of the cost of the Local Authority Search. When the deposit is payable against the purchase price then this should be asked for shortly ahead of exchange of contracts. The final balance that is needed should be transferred a few days ahead of the completion date.

We are buying a property in Kingston upon Thames. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a lawyer? At some point we have to send money into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our deposit?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

Can you point me to a directory of UBS panel conveyancers in Kingston upon Thames on the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Website?

No. There is no such facility on the CML or Building Society Association websites. Very few lending institutions make their panel listings available over the internet. If you are seeking to appoint a Kingston upon Thames conveyancer on the UBS please use our tool.

How can we tell if a Kingston upon Thames conveyancing solicitor on the UBS panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Kingston upon Thames seeking 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 which is cheap as chips. We would always advocate that you speak with the solicitor conducting your transaction.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Kingston upon Thames conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Kingston upon Thames conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Kingston upon Thames conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be useful:

How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation? If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?

I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without getting anywhere. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such matters? Can you recommend a Kingston upon Thames conveyancing firm to assist?

You certainly can. We are happy to put you in touch with a Kingston upon Thames conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Kingston upon Thames property is Flat D 15 Claremont Gardens in September 2013. TheTribunal determined in accordance with section48 and Schedule13 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease should be fourteen thousand one hundred and eighty seven pounds (£14,187.00) This case affected 1 flat.