Having been referred to your company we were going to appoint conveyancing solicitor in Southwold recommended by you but have come across some other costs illustrations on the internet appear cheaper – how come?

There are many firms of conveyancers marketing at first sight what seems to be very low prices. You should think twice as to how much you respect your own move to want to be penny wise pound foolish with regard to the standard of the conveyancing. Many of them highlight a bargain fee to grab your attention but bury extra costs in the small print..

What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Southwold? Is this really warranted?

It is indeed that case that the requirement set out by your lawyer has nothing to do with conveyancing in Southwold. Nowadays you will not be able to complete any conveyancing transaction in the absence providing evidence of your identity. Ordinarily this takes the form of a either your passport or driving licence plus a utility bill. Please note that if you are supplying your driving licence as proof of identification it must be both the paper part and photo card part, one is not acceptable without the other.

Proof of your source of funds is necessary under Money Laundering Regulations. You should not be offended when when this is requested of you as your conveyancing solicitor will need to retain this information on record. Your Southwold conveyancing practitioner will need to see evidence of proof of funds prior to accepting any monies from you into their client account and they may also ask additional queries concerning the origin of monies.

Do I have to pop into the offices of the solicitor to sign the mortgage deed? If so, I will instruct a firm who offer conveyancing in Southwold so that I can attend their offices if necessary.

Whereas this was necessary 15 years ago, the vast majority mortgage companies no longer require their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the borrowers signature. It will still be necessary for you to provide identification documents and there are still manifest benefits to instructing a locally based solicitor, in your situation a conveyancing solicitor in Southwold.

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

Do not opt for the lowest Southwold conveyancing fees. 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 the deal.

I happen to be the only beneficiary of my late father’s estate with all property in now in my sole name, including the my former home in Southwold. The Southwold property was put into my name in August. I now wish to sell up. I understand that there is a CML six month 'rule', meaning my property ownership will be treated the same way as though I had purchased the property in August. Will no one buy the property for half a year?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook obliges solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you could be impacted by that. Some banks would take a practical view as this clause principally exists to capture subsales or the quick reselling of properties.

I am selling my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in June 2007, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, Principality are being pedantic. The Southwold solicitor who is on the Principality conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Principality are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Principality have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Principality have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Principality may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that could affect a commercial site in Southwold?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Southwold will conduct a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers invest in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Southwold. The report sets out definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Southwold.

For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Southwold it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately may cause delays to Southwold commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not conducted for domestic conveyancing in Southwold.