Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Wool is not listed on my mortgage company's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of the firm’s conveyancing?

That would most likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator revealed that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) lack of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should simply call the Wool conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.

I am purchasing a victorian detached house in Wool. We would like to carry out an extension to the side at the property.Will the conveyancing process involve checks to determine if these works are permitted?

Your conveyancer will review the registered title as conveyancing in Wool will on occasion reveal restrictions in the title deeds which restrict categories of alterations or need the permission of a 3rd party. Some works require local authority planning permissions and approval in accordance building regulations. Many locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Wool. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?

Almost all lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Team at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.

have agreed my home loan in principle, my offer on a apartment in Wool has been agreed to, what are the next steps?

Your estate agent will want to know who your solicitors are (ensure that the are on the bank’s approved list). Contact or your broker and finalise any outstanding paperwork. will appoint a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or vendor to schedule a slot for the valuation to happen. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes approximately ten days to get a mortgage offer. will send the offer to you and your . The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Wool.

The deeds to my home can not be found. The lawyers who did the conveyancing in Wool 10 years ago are no longer around. Will I be able to sell the house?

Assuming you have a registered title the details of your ownership will be held by the Land Registry under a Title Number. It is possible to perform a search at the Land Registry, find your house and order up to date copies of the property title for less than a fiver. If the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will also normally hold a certified duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be ordered for twenty pounds.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £235,500 and found one near me in Wool I like with a park and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Wool suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you require a home loan that many years may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated 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 could ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.

I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor apartment in Wool. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, however I have just received a yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is discharge the service charge as usual given that all ground rent and maintenance invoices will be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

Wool Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

Best to be warned whether redecorating or some other significant cost is due shortly to be shared by the leasehold owners and will dramatically increase the the maintenance charges or require a one time invoice. The answer will be important as a) areas could cause problems for the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate if repairs are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have an issue with the running of the building you will want to have all the details