Me and my partner are due to exchange on the purchase of a property in Margate but as a consequence of wreckage from the recent storms I have managed to agree reparation from the owner of £2k taking the form of a deduction in the price. This was going to be addressed as part of amending the contract however Aldermore are not allowing this. Should they have been notified?

Your solicitor that is on a Aldermore approved list is obliged to inform Aldermore of any variations to the purchase price. If you prohibit your conveyancing practitioner to notify the price change to Aldermore then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Aldermore and you would have to appoint a new lawyer for your conveyancing in Margate.

What is your number one tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Margate

It would be unwise to be tempted by the lowest Margate conveyancing quote. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

Forgive me if this question is silly but I am new to the process as a 1st time purchaser of a two bedroom flat in Margate. Do I collect the keys to the property on completion from my solicitor? If so, I will appoint a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Margate?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will electronically transfer the purchase money to the seller's lawyers, and once they have received this, you should be invited to pick up the keys from the property Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this happens early afternoon.

My wife and I are at the point of viewing houses in Margate and I am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a conveyancing practitioner in place at this stage? I will be getting a mortgage with Barclays.

You should start obtaining conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the EA. As you are obtaining a mortgage with Barclays, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Barclays conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

I need some quick conveyancing in Margate as I am under an ultimatum to sign on the dotted line inside 4 weeks. Thankfully I do not need a mortgage. Can I escape the need for conveyancing searches to save money and time?

If.Given you are not obtaining a home loan you have the choice not to do searches although no law firm would advise that you don't. With lots of history conveyancing in Margate the following are instances of what can show up and therefore affect market value: Refused Planning Applications, Outstanding Fees, Outstanding Grants, Unadopted Roads,...

I used Wolstenholmes a few years past for my conveyancing in Margate. I now require my file but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Margate of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I've found a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Margate. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Margate are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Margate in which case you should be looking for a Margate conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your conveyancer should report to you on the legal implications.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Margate - A selection of Questions you should ask before buying

Be sure to discover if there are any onerous prohibitions in the lease. For example plenty of leases prohibit pets being allowed in certain buildings in Margate. If you like the apartmentin Margate however your dog is not allowed to make the move with you then you have a very difficult choice. How long is the Lease? Where a Margate lease has less than eighty years it will impact the marketability of the property. Check with your mortgage company that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will most likely require a lease extension sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out how much this would cost. For most Margatelease extensions you would need to own the property for 24 months before you are entitled to exercise a lease extension.