Finally, a mortgage agreement from NatWest for the remortgage of my 4 room apartment is to be issued imminently. Are you able to put forward a cheap conveyancing lawyer in Weymouth?

This site is not designed to assist those in their quest for cut-price fees for conveyancing solicitors in Weymouth. Our aim is to provide excellent value conveyancing but we do not work with the cheapest lawyers. Do not be fooled by organisations enticing you with low cost conveyancing in Weymouth. Optimistically, in being led by low cost conveyancing, you will get your money’s worth and at worst you will end up being stung for extras and still not receive the service required.

It is 10 years ago since I bought my home in Weymouth. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been instructed on the sale but I can't find the title deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

You need not be too concerned. First the deeds may be with your mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the conveyancers who handled the purchase. Secondly in all probability the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining current official copies of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Weymouth involves registered property but in the rare situation where your property is not registered it is more of a problem but is not insurmountable.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Weymouth I like with open areas and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 52 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Weymouth in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage that many years will likely be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

Is it possible to change conveyancer as I have to appoint one who is on the Aldermore conveyancing list. I was using a family conveyancing solicitor in Weymouth round the corner but he is not accepted by Aldermore

We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in Weymouth on the Aldermore panel. Please note that the property lawyers that we on the directory do not pay us a referral fee if you instruct them and are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Weymouth. Using search facility on this website, you can contrast fees for conveyancing solicitors in Weymouth and beyond.

I am looking at a couple of apartments in Weymouth which have approximately 50 years left on the lease term. should I be concerned?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold apartment in Weymouth is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the marketability of the premises. The majority of purchasers and mortgage companies, leases with less than 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Weymouth conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Weymouth - Examples of Queries before buying

The best form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this situation the lessees have being in charge if their destiny and notwithstanding that a managing agent is often retained where it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders. Are there any major works on the horizon that could increase the maintenance charges? You should want to find out as much as you can about the company managing the building as they will either make your living at the property much easier or uncomfortable. Being a leasehold owner you are often at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to daily issues such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Ask other people what they think of their management. Finally, be sure you know the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and precisely how they are spending that money.