We are acquiring our first home. The conveyancing practitioner has messagedto enquire if we would like to order additional conveyancing searches. As novices we are clueless as to what's needed for conveyancing in Morden Park

The scope of Morden Park conveyancing searches depends primarily on the property, the location, the possibility of any of these risks, your knowledge of the locality and risks, your overall attitude to risk. What matters is that you properly comprehend what information the searches could provide. You may then make a decision if you personally think you need that search. Where you are unclear, ask the solicitor to advise.

I am helping my niece sell her flat in Morden Park. Does the conveyancer commission the EPC or do I organise this?

After the abolition of Home Packs, energy assessments was retained a mandatory component of moving house. An energy performance certificate must be to hand in advance of the property being advertised. This is not something that solicitors ordinarily arrange. Where you are instructing a Morden Park conveyancing solicitor they might be able to arrange energy assessments given their contacts with reputable Morden Park accredited person

We were going to get a AIP from RBS this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do RBS recommend any Morden Park solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Morden Park solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the RBS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and RBS through the process.

I was told two weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Clydesdale. Is it usual for Clydesdale to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Morden Park is approved on their conveyancing panel? Clydesdale have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their Professional Indemnity Insurance Schedule.

A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Clydesdale to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

How does conveyancing in Morden Park differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build property in Morden Park come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is completed. This is because developers in Morden Park typically acquire the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Morden Park or who has acted in the same development.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £305k and identified one near me in Morden Park I like with open areas and railway links nearby, however it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Morden Park for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

If you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease will likely be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.

Is it best to instruct a Morden Park conveyancing solicitor in close proximity to the house I am buying? I have an old university friend who can carry out the conveyancing however his firm is located 400miles away.

The primary upside of using a local Morden Park conveyancing firm is that you can pop in to sign documents, hand in your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local insight which is a plus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If if people you trust instructed your friend and on the whole were happy that should surpass using an unknown Morden Park conveyancing lawyer just because they are round the corner.