I am selling my home in Werrington and the estate agent has just telephoned to advise that the purchasers are swapping property lawyer. The reason given is that the bank will only engage with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading lender only engage with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Werrington ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 15 years.

Mortgage companies attribute this action to a rise in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The purchasers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

I am need of leasehold conveyancing for a flat in a relatively new development (6 years built) in Werrington. The vast majority the properties are already sold. Do I need carry out the local searches for my conveyancing in Werrington?

Where you are obtaining a loan, your lender will need some (many) of the searches so you'll have no choice. If not, then Werrington conveyancing searches are for you to decide upon. No doubt your conveyancer, will 'advise', perhaps in the strongest possible terms, that you should not go ahead without searches, but he or she has a professional duty to do this. One thing to bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future buyer what the searches contain. Sometimes houses with no practical issues can still throw up adverse search results. But if you demand that your lawyer to proceed without searches then your lawyer will have to follow your instructions or ask you to appoint a different lawyer for your conveyancing in Werrington.

I bought my home on 1 January and my personal details is not yet registered. Need I be worried? My conveyancing solicitor in Werrington expressed confidence that it would be concluded inside ten days. Are transfers in Werrington particularly slow to register?

There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in Werrington registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can vary subject to the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry communicate with any third parties. At present approximately 80% of submission are fully addressed in less than three weeks but some can be subject to longer delays. Historically registration takes place after the buyer is living at the premises thus an expedited registration is not always primary concern yet if it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your solicitor should communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.

How does conveyancing in Werrington differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Werrington come to us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is finished. This is because builders in Werrington tend to buy the site, 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 conveyancers 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 used to new build conveyancing in Werrington or who has acted in the same development.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Werrington from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Werrington can be bypassed if you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ lawyers.
If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a property where there is a current dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic rather than unsettled. You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be advisable verify this by asking your conveyancers. A purchaser's conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is less than 80 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale. If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should make sure that you hold the original share document. Arranging a new share certificate can be a time consuming process and frustrates many a Werrington home move. Where a new share is needed, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Werrington - Examples of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

Its a good idea to find out as much as you can regarding the company managing the block as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you are often in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to practical matters such as the tidiness of the communal areas. Ask prospective neighbours if they are happy with them. Finally, find out the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the managing agents and precisely what you get for your money. Best to be warned if redecorating or some other significant cost is anticipated to be shared between the leasehold owners and will dramatically impact the level of the service fees or require a one time payment.