If you had a top tip for selecting a conveyancing solicitor in Prestbury what would it be?

Do not opt for the lowest Prestbury 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 know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of time.

The mortgage over my property is with HSBC for my property in Prestbury. Conveyancing has been completed some time ago. Should I wish to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform HSBC?

HSBC must be informed of your intention before renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of HSBC’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact HSBC directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a HSBC conveyancing panel lawyer.

I've read lots of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Prestbury solicitor - who is on the Principality conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

Principality will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Principality will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Prestbury surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

I am purchasing a property and the conveyancer has referenced Chancel Repair for which the property may be liable as it falls into the area of such a church. She has mentioned insurance. Is this really necessary for conveyancing in Prestbury

Unless a previous purchase of the property completed after 12 October 2013 you may expect solicitors handling conveyancing in Prestbury to continue to suggest a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Prestbury I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, however it's only got 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Prestbury suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.

Should I be wary that third parties that I am dealing with are recommending a factory type conveyancing firm as opposed to a local Prestbury conveyancing firm?

As with many professional services, often input from family and friends can be most helpful. Nevertheless there are many parties with a vested interest in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, financial adviser and mortgage companies might all suggest lawyers to use. On occasion the conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but occasionally there behind the scenes financial incentive behind the recommendation. You are free to select your preferred conveyancer. Don't forget that the majority of banks operate an approved list of conveyancers you must use for the lender aspect of your home move.

Is it the case that all Prestbury law firms on every lender conveyancing panel?

You can use our search tool or you can pop into your local lender branch in Prestbury. Chances are that they will know some good conveyancing solicitors in Prestbury