I am in the throes of transferring my current homeowner home loan to a Buy to Let Clydesdale mortgage. I have been informed by my broker that I must appoint a conveyancer as part of the process. I spoke to my former Melbourne conveyancing firm who who conducted the conveyancing when I initially purchased the premises. The quote e-mailed to me of £450 plus VAT has shocked me as its a refinance than a sale or purchase.

The costs illustration is fractionally on the high side. Where you are happy to spend time scrutinising charges you might get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by say £100 plus VAT. That being said, assuming were happy with the assistance the firm provided you couldcome to regret opting for an a cheaper solicitor. Remember to check the solicitor can represent Clydesdale. Do make use of our search tool to find a Melbourne conveyancing firm on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Melbourne.

What is your number one tip for finding a conveyancing solicitor in Melbourne

We would encourage you not to base your choice on the lowest Melbourne conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. 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.

Have just purchased a repossessed house at auction in Melbourne. Conveyancing is necessary. What is next?

Now that you are legally committed yourself to purchase you now have to choose a conveyancing lawyer quickly as you now have a fast approaching a drop dead date to complete the property. Every auction property will have a bespoke legal set of papers. This should include evidence of title and search results. If you have purchased leasehold premises the auction papers may include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing documentation specific to a leasehold property. You need to give this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor at the earliest opportunity. You also need to ensure that you have funds in place to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

My partner and I have organised a further advance on our home loan from HSBC as we intend to carry out alterations to our property in Melbourne. Do we need to select a nearby Melbourne solicitor on the HSBC conveyancing panel to handle the legals?

HSBC would not normally require a member of their conveyancing panel to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the HSBC panel.

Should my lawyer be asking questions regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Melbourne.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers dealing with homes in Melbourne. Some people will purchase a property in Melbourne, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Solicitors are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a number of checks that may be initiated by the purchaser or by their lawyers which will give them a better understanding of the risks in Melbourne. The conventional set of information supplied to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a usual question of the vendor to find out whether the premises has historically flooded. In the event that the residence has been flooded in past which is not notified by the seller, then a purchaser could bring a claim for damages resulting from an incorrect answer. A purchaser’s lawyers will also commission an environmental search. This should reveal whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries will need to be conducted.

The deeds to our home can not be found. The lawyers who conducted the conveyancing in Melbourne 5 years ago have long since closed. Will I be able to sell the house?

As long as you have a registered title the details of your proprietorship will be documented by HMLR with a Title Number. It is easy to conduct a search at the Land Registry, find your property and obtain current copies of the Registered Entries for less than a fiver. If the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually retain a file duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be obtained for £20 inclusive of VAT.

Is it best to choose a Melbourne conveyancing practitioner in close proximity to the house I am hoping to buy? An old friend can perform the legal work but her office is 400kilometers away.

The benefit of a local Melbourne conveyancing practice is that you can pop in to execute paperwork, hand in your ID and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local knowledge which is a plus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If you know people who instructed your friend and the majority were happy that must outweigh using an unknown Melbourne conveyancing solicitor just because they are local.