When it comes to mortgage companies such as Lloyds, do Wolverton property lawyers incur an annual charge to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are not aware of any bank fees to register on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Wolverton. I have a mortgage offer with UBS. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with UBS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the UBS conveyancing panel.

I've digested plenty 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 Wolverton solicitor - who is on the Principality conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?

Principality will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Principality 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 Wolverton 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.

Should commercial conveyancing searches disclose proposed roadworks that may impact a commercial site in Wolverton?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Wolverton will order a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers expend in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Wolverton. The search result sets out definitive information 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 Wolverton.

For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Wolverton it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately could result in delays to Wolverton commercial conveyancing deals as well as pose a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not carried out for domestic conveyancing in Wolverton.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Wolverton with a loan from Birmingham Midshires. The sellers would not reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent told me not reveal to my lawyer about the extras as it would affect my mortgage with the lender. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I am 14 days into a residential purchase having been directed to a firm by the local agent to do our conveyancing in Wolverton. We are not happy. Can you you assist me in finding new lawyers?

They would have to be really bad in order to consider changing them. Has the loan offer been issued? If so you will need to inform them of the new solicitor and ensure the loan are issued to the new lawyers. The conveyancer needs to be on the banks panel to avoid supplemental fees and delays. That should be your first question of the new conveyancers. Our find a solicitor tool can assist you in finding a lender approved lawyer for your home move in Wolverton

I’m about to sell my basement apartment in Wolverton. Conveyancing has not commenced, but I have just received a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

It best that you clear the invoice as normal because all rents and maintenance payments will be apportioned on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I invested in buying a 1st floor flat in Wolverton, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Corresponding properties in Wolverton with a long lease are worth £176,000. The ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2103

With only 80 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £7,600 and £8,800 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.