I am selling our home in Stanwick and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built on contaminated land. A high street Stanwick conveyancer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the purchasers are using an internet conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Stanwick. We have lived in Stanwick for six years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to seek confirmation need.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm already. Are they able to advise? You must enquire of 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 illness)

How does conveyancing in Stanwick differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Stanwick approach us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is finished. This is because house builders in Stanwick typically acquire the real estate, 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 property lawyers 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Stanwick or who has acted in the same development.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Stanwick I like with a park and railway links nearby, the downside is that it only has 51 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Stanwick suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?

Should you require a home loan that many years will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you could ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.

I need to instruct a conveyancing practitioner in Stanwick for my house move. Is there any facility to check a solicitor's record with the legal regulator?

Members of the public can review presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions resulting from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For records Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors history, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator sometimes recorded call for training reasons.

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Stanwick what are the most frequent lease defects?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Stanwick. All leases are drafted differently and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain provisions are missing. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts. Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

You may have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Lloyds TSB Bank, Leeds Building Society, and Godiva Mortgages Ltd all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to provide security, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.

Stanwick Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before buying

The best form of lease structure is where the freehold reversion is owned by the leaseholders. In this situation the leaseholders benefit from control and although a managing agent is often employed where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. Please tell me if there are any major works in the planning that will likely add a premium to the maintenance fees? Where a Stanwick lease has less than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the value of the apartment. It is worth checking with your mortgage company that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will most likely require a lease extension at some point and it is worth finding out what this would cost. Remember, in most cases you would need to own the residence for 24 months in order to be entitled to extend the lease.