I am purchasing a garden flat in Somerton. Can I do my own conveyancing?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Somerton you will have to appoint a solicitor on your bank'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 Somerton.

I am intent on selling our home in Somerton and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was constructed land that was not decontaminated. A local lawyer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers instructed an internet conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Somerton. Having lived in Somerton for 4 years we know of no issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to seek confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)

Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Somerton prior to instructing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor advised that some mortgage companies tend refuse to issue a mortgage on this type of premises.

It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different requirements for example to Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to call us we can check with the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Somerton. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Somerton to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.

Last December I purchased a leasehold house in Somerton. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?

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. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure 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).

Somerton Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

Many Somerton leasehold flats will have a service bill for maintenance of the building set on behalf of the freeholder. If you purchase the apartment you will have to pay this amount, normally in instalments accross the year. This may vary from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built blocks. In all likelihood there will be a ground rent to be met annual, this is usually not a exorbitant figure, say approximately £50-£100 but you need to enquire it because on occasion it can be many hundreds of pounds. Best to be warned whether fixing the lift or some other significant cost is coming up that will be shared between the leaseholders and will materially impact the level of the maintenance fees or necessitate a specific invoice. Make sure you enquire if there are any onerous restrictions in the lease. By way of example it is very common in Somerton leases that pets are not allowed in certain buildings in Somerton. If you love the apartmentin Somerton however your dog is not allowed to make the move with you then you have a very difficult choice.

I am Googling for Somerton online conveyancing estimates. Can I be sure that all the Somerton practices that are listed on your website are on the lender conveyancing panel?

The law firms on our directory have assured us via an online form that they are on the mortgage company panel and agreed to advise us to take down their listing in the event of removal off of the mortgage company panel. To date we have not been informed by either a mortgage company or a member of the public that the data about a specific Somerton firm being on the lender conveyancing panel is not accurate.