As someone unfamiliar with conveyancing in South London what’s the number one tip you can impart for the legal transfer of property in South London

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in South London or throughout London is an adversarial experience. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists plenty of opportunity for conflict between you and other parties involved in the home moving process. For instance, the seller, selling agent and sometimes a mortgage company. Selecting a solicitor for your conveyancing in South London an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE party in the transaction whose role it is to protect your best interests and to keep you safe.

On occasion a potential adversary may attempt to persuade you that it is in your interests to do things their way. For instance, the estate agent may claim to be assisting by claiming that your conveyancer is wrong. Or your financial adviser may tell you to do something that is against your solicitors advice. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the conveyancing process.

Will our lawyer be asking questions regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in South London.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers conducting conveyancing in South London. There are those who purchase a property in South London, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or sell the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.

Conveyancers are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a number of checks that may be carried out by the buyer or by their solicitors which can figure out the risks in South London. The standard information supplied to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a standard inquiry of the vendor to discover whether the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that the residence has been flooded in past and is not revealed by the vendor, then a purchaser may issue a compensation claim stemming from an inaccurate reply. The purchaser’s conveyancers will also commission an enviro search. This should higlight if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries should be made.

I decided to have a survey carried out on a property in South London in advance of appointing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. Our surveyor advised that some mortgage companies tend not give a mortgage on this type of home.

It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different requirements for example to Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can check with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in South London. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in South London especially if they are familiar with such properties in South London.

My father-in-law has recommend that I appoint his conveyancers in South London. Do I take his guidance?

Much as we are happy to recommend a South London conveyancing lawyer the ideal way to find a conveyancing lawyer is to seek referrals from friends or family who have actually used the conveyancer that you are contemplating using.

My husband and I have recently had a bid accepted on our first home in South London, and are now looking to get solicitors lined up. I have made use of the different comparison based websites and the results are from all over the the UK. Is it necessary to have a South London conveyancer local to our prospective property? I am fine to do all the communicating over email, but I am thinking at some point we will be required to attend the property lawyer's office to sign documents?

The conveyancer does not have to be in South London, but opting for local means that you can go in if needed, by way of example, if a signature is immediately necessary. In addition, a South London solicitor is likely to be familiar with local agents and (if the vendor has instructed a local conveyancer) with them, which will help keep things moving faster.