I am due to complete buying a house in Newtown but as a consequence of damage from some water damage at the property I have managed to agree reparation from the current proprietors in the sum of £2k by way of a reduction in the price. This was going to be addressed as part of a side agreement however Aldermore will not permit this. Should they have been involved?

The lawyer being on the Aldermore approved list is required to advise Aldermore of any changes to the sale price. If you were to refuse your solicitor to disclose 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 property lawyer for your conveyancing in Newtown.

Me and my partner are purchasing a flat in Newtown. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a conveyancer? At some point we have to send money into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our monies?

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.

I happen to be the only recipient of my late grandmother’s will and I have everything in my name alone, including the my former home in Newtown. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in July. I plan to dispose of the property. I understand that there is a CML 6 month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship may be treated the same way as though I had purchased the house in July. Do I have to wait 6 months to sell?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook obliges solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you may be caught by that. How practical a view mortgage companies take of it, depend on the mortgage company as this obligation is principally there to pick up on the purchase and immediately sell or the wholesaling and assigning of properties.

Are all Newtown Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel?

It is true that some lenders now utilise CQS as the kick off point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to join their panels.

A friend recommended that where I am buying in Newtown I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is occasionally included in the estimate for your Newtown conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Newtown around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Newtown Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning Newtown.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Newtown?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Newtown. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the sale of our £450,000 maisonette in Newtown in 10 days. The managing agents has quoted £348 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Newtown?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Newtown conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

Completing pre-contract enquiries Where consent is required before sale in Newtown Copies of the building insurance and schedule Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Newtown leasehold premises is £350. For Newtown conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to supply answers.

Newtown Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Best to be warned if window replacement or some other significant cost is due in the foreseeable future that will be shared amongst the leasehold owners and will dramatically increase the the service costs or result in a one time invoice. How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? You should want to find out as much as possible concerning the company managing the block as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you are often at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to daily matters such as the upkeep of the common parts. Ask other tenants what they think of their management. Finally, be sure you understand the dates that the service fees are due to the managing agents and specifically how they are spending that money.