My fiance and I are refinancing our maisonette in Shepperton with UBS. We have a son 19 who lives with us. Our solicitor requested us to identify any adults other than ourselves who reside at the property. Our lawyer has now e-mailed a document for our son to sign, waiving any legal rights in the event that the property is repossessed. I have a couple of concerns (1) Is this form unique to the UBS conveyancing panel as he did not need to sign this form when we remortgaged 4 years ago (2) Does our son by signing this compromise his rights to inherit the property?

On the face of it your lawyer has done nothing wrong as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to UBS. This is solely used to protect UBS if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave. It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of UBS had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.

Will lawyers request money up-front when it comes to conveyancing in Shepperton?

Where you are retaining lawyers for conveyancing in Shepperton your solicitor will ask you to provide them with monies to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. This will be the total of the cost of the conveyancing searches. When the down payment is payable against the total price then this should be required immediately prior to contracts are exchanged. The final balance that is due should be sent to your lawyer shortly before completion.

I am buying a semi-detached house in Shepperton. How practical is it for me to do the conveyancing?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Shepperton you will have to appoint a solicitor on your mortgage company's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Shepperton.

If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Shepperton what would it be?

Do not opt for the cheapest Shepperton conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you’re paying 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 advance.

Do I select a Licenced Conveyancer or Solicitor for conveyancing in Shepperton?

There are many recorded licenced Conveyancers in Shepperton and Solicitor partnerships in Shepperton who provide Conveyancing services It is important to make clear that the two are supervised by regulatory bodies with both specialising in the legal aspects of the home buying process. The two can conduct other property legal work such as remortgage conveyancing, lease extensions and transfer of equity conveyancing.

How can we tell if a Shepperton conveyancing solicitor on the Leeds Building Society panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Shepperton obtaining recommendations is a sensible start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always suggest that you speak with the lawyer handling your transaction.

I am attracted to a couple of flats in Shepperton which have about fifty years remaining on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold apartment in Shepperton is a deteriorating asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it reduces the marketability of the property. The majority of purchasers and lenders, leases with less than eighty years become less and less attractive. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Shepperton conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

Notwithstanding our best efforts, we have been unsuccessful in seeking a lease extension in Shepperton. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Shepperton conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Shepperton property is 147 Redford Close in June 2012. The Tribunal determined the lease extension premium to be at £4,200 This case related to 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 82.93 years.