Recently contacted my conveyancing solicitor in Kirkby Stephen who conducted the legals two years ago and wanted a conveyancing quote based on an identical type of house sale & purchase (a leasehold premises and a freehold property) of similar values with a home loan from Skipton Building Society. It looks as though am now being charged double. Am I right to be tempted to shop around for an alternative conveyancer?

The charges seem a bit high. If you are willing to expend time scrutinising prices you might trim some of the cost by as much as £125. On the other hand, if you were pleased with the assistance the firm gave you mightlive to rue choosing an an unknown conveyancer. If is important to be sure that the firm can act for Skipton Building Society. You can employ our search tool to choose a Kirkby Stephen conveyancing firm on the Skipton Building Society member panel, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Kirkby Stephen.

I am intent on selling our property in Kirkby Stephen and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was constructed on contaminated land. A local conveyancer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers are using a factory type conveyancing outfit rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Kirkby Stephen. Having lived in Kirkby Stephen for six years we know that this is a non issue. Do we contact our local Authority to get confirmation that there is no issue.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm already. What do they say? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same illness)

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £195,000 and identified one near me in Kirkby Stephen I like with open areas and station in the vicinity, however it's only got 61 years on the lease. There is not much else in Kirkby Stephen suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?

Should you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease will likely be an issue. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you may request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.

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At this site obtain an accurate costs illustration via a Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer that has a full understanding of the issues of your conveyancing in Kirkby Stephen. Unlike many estate agents and brokerage sites we are not in the business of charging firms a commission if you choose them for your conveyancing in Kirkby Stephen

Last October I purchased a leasehold house in Kirkby Stephen. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Leasehold Conveyancing in Kirkby Stephen - A selection of Questions you should consider before buying

Best to be warned if fixing the lift or some other major work is due in the near future to be shared between the leaseholders and could well materially impact the level of the service costs or necessitate a one time payment. Who takes charge for maintaining and repairing the building?