My brother and I have recently purchased a house in Wargrave. We have since encountered a number of issues with the property which we believe were omitted in the conveyancing searches. What action can we take? Can you clarify the nature of searches that should have been carried out for conveyancing in Wargrave?

It is not clear from the question as to the nature of the problems and if they are unique to conveyancing in Wargrave. Conveyancing searches and investigations undertaken during the buying process are designed to help avoid problems. As part of the legal transfer of property, a property owner fills in a document referred to as a SPIF. If the information turns out to be misleading, you could possibly take legal action against the seller for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Wargrave.

Are the Wargrave conveyancing solicitors identified as being on the Barclays conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by Barclays?

Wargrave conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Barclays conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Barclays directly.

What is the difference between a licensed conveyancer and conveyancing solicitor in Wargrave

There are two types of lawyers who can do conveyancing in Wargrave namely CLC regulated conveyancers or solicitors. Both professionals administer conveyancing services that you need to complete the sale or acquisition of property. They are both required to handle Wargrave conveyancing to the same standards and guidelines so you may be safe in the knowledge that your conveyancing will be professionally administered and that the requirements and procedures will be suitably attended to.

I've read lots of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Wargrave solicitor - who is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?

Coventry BS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Coventry BS will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Wargrave surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

I have finally had an offer on a maisonette in Wargrave accepted, the sellers do nevertheless have a connected purchase. The vendors have placed an offer on somewhere, but it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other apartments booked. I have chosen a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Wargrave. What do I do now? At what point should I apply for the mortgage with Virgin Money?

It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses too early (home loan application is in the region of one thousand pounds, then valuation, Wargrave conveyancing search charges, etc). First, you should ensure that your conveyancer is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. As to the subsequent steps this very much depends on the circumstances of your case, attraction to this property and on the state of the market. During a hot market many buyers will apply for the mortgage with Virgin Money and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their solicitor to move forward with the conveyancing in Wargrave.

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Wargrave prior to instructing conveyancers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the house. Our surveyor has said that some lenders will refuse to grant a loan on this type of premises.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Birmingham Midshires. If you call us we can look into this further via the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Wargrave. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Wargrave to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 68 years unexpired on my lease in Wargrave. I now want to get lease extension but my landlord is absent. What should I do?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to locate the landlord. For most situations a specialist may be helpful to carry out a search and to produce a report which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Wargrave.

Wargrave Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

Its a good idea to discover as much as you can regarding the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the owner of a leasehold property you are often in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to practical issues such as the cleanliness of the communal areas. Enquire of other tenants whether they are happy with their service. On a final note, investigate as to the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the relevant party and precisely what you get for your money. Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge liability? If a Wargrave lease has less than 80 years it will impact the salability of the property. It is worth checking with your lender that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. A short lease means that you will probably have to extend the lease at some point and it is worth discovering how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you will need to own the premises for two years in order to be eligible to extend the lease.