How do I identify commercial conveyancing in Okehampton?

Option 1 is to ask the people you trust who they experienced using in the past and if they were happy with the service.

Second, search the internet for conveyancing in Okehampton. Pick up the phone to a couple or more firms listed and ask them to email you their conveyancing fees and discuss your needs with the solicitor who will conduct your legal process in advance ofcommitting.

Option 3 is to use this site to assist you in finding the right lawyers taking into account your personal expectations including the type of property,speed, complications and who your intended mortgage company is. Don't take the bait of £99 conveyancing in Okehampton

I purchased a 4 bedroom Victorian property in Okehampton. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Santander. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Okehampton and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also enquire as to the position with the conveyancing solicitor who conducted the purchase.

I am looking for a flat up to £305k and identified one close by in Okehampton I like with a park and railway links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 51 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Okehampton suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

If you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will be an issue. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.

My husband and I are new on the property ladder - had an offer accepted, yet the estate agent informed us that the owners will only issue a contract if we use the agent's chosen solicitors as they need a ‘quick sale’. My instinct tells me that we should use a family conveyancer with experience of conveyancing in Okehampton

It is highly unlikely the owners are driving this. If they want ‘a quick sale', alienating a genuine purchaser is not the way to achieve this. Contact the vendors directly and explain that (a)you are genuine purchasers (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you are chain free (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you intend to use your preferred Okehampton conveyancing firm - not the ones that will earn the estate agent a commission or hit his conveyancing figures set by corporate headquarters.

What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Okehampton conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Okehampton conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you speak with several firms including non Okehampton conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be useful:

If they are not ALEP accredited then what is the reason? What volume of lease extensions have they completed in Okehampton in the last twenty four months?

Leasehold Conveyancing in Okehampton - Examples of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

How long is the Lease? Most Okehampton leasehold properties will be liable to pay a service charge for the upkeep of the building invoiced on behalf of the landlord. Where you buy the flat you will have to pay this liability, usually quarterly during the year. This can vary from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal grounds. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, ordinarily this is not a exorbitant amount, say around £25-£75 but you need to check as occasionally it could be prohibitively expensive. Is the freehold reversion owned jointly by the leaseholders?