When reading moneysavingexpert.com for an online lawyer in Rowley Regis, most post that I must use a CQS assured lawyer. What is CQS?

The Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) provides a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices issued by the Law Society. Membership achievement establishes a level of credibility for member firms with stakeholders (regulators, lenders, insurers and consumers) based upon: * the integrity of the senior responsible officer and other key conveyancing staff * the firm's adherence to good practice management standards * adherence to best practice conveyancing procedures via the scheme protocol It covers numerous firms who execute conveyancing in Rowley Regis.

There is lots of here concerning conveyancing in Rowley Regis but what is your top tip for finding the right conveyancer in Rowley Regis

We would encourage you not to base your choice on the lowest Rowley Regis conveyancing quote. You really do get what you pay 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 know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of the deal.

I'm in the throws of looking at apartments in Rowley Regis and I am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a conveyancer appointed at this point? I intend to finance via a home loan with Virgin Money.

You should start requesting conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the estate agent. As you are seeking a mortgage with Virgin Money, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.

Bank of Ireland have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on a flat in Rowley Regis has been agreed to, what happens next?

Your estate agent will need to know who your solicitors are (ensure that the property lawyers are on the bank’s panel). Call up Bank of Ireland or the financial adviser and complete any appropriate forms. Bank of Ireland will appoint a valuer who will get in touch with the selling agent or owners to schedule a time for the valuation to occur. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about ten days for the mortgage offer to be issued. Bank of Ireland will send the offer to you and your lawyers. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Rowley Regis.

It has been 4 months since my purchase conveyancing in Rowley Regis concluded. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £160,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the property from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

How does conveyancing in Rowley Regis differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Rowley Regis contact us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is built. This is because developers in Rowley Regis usually buy the land, 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 conveyancers 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 Rowley Regis or who has acted in the same development.

Last January I purchased a leasehold property in Rowley Regis. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Rowley Regis Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge liability? If a Rowley Regis lease has fewer than eighty years it will affect the salability of the apartment. Check with your bank that they are willing to lend given the lease term. A short lease means that you will probably need a lease extension sooner rather than later and it is worth discovering how much this will be. For most Rowley Regislease extensions you will need to own the premises for two years before you are legally able to exercise a lease extension. This information is important as a) areas can result in problems for the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where repairs remain unpaid b) if the tenants have an issue with the managing agents you will need to have complete disclosure