Will lawyers ask for an advanced payment for my conveyancing in Worthing?

Where you are retaining lawyers for conveyancing in Worthing your lawyer will request that you place them with monies to cover the search fees. Ordinarily this is asked for to cover the fees of the Local Authority Search. When the down payment is payable against the purchase price then this will be required shortly ahead of contracts are exchanged. The closing balance that is needed should be sent to your lawyer shortly before completion.

Our lender has recommended solicitors on their panel based in Worthing but I would rather use a conveyancing lawyer in Worthing or nearer to where I live. Are you able to help?

Far from all Worthing conveyancing solicitors are listed all lender’s conveyancing panel. Do make the most of the above search tool to identify a Worthing conveyancing solicitor on the on the mortgage company panel.

four months have gone by since my purchase conveyancing in Worthing took place. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £170,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the asset from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

How does conveyancing in Worthing differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build property in Worthing contact us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is constructed. This is because builders in Worthing typically purchase 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Worthing or who has acted in the same development.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Worthing with the intention of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Worthing can be reduced where you instruct lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers’ conveyancers.
If you have had conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of 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 better to reveal the dispute as over as opposed to unresolved. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Worthing state that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. Should you fail to have the paperwork in place you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your lawyer first. Some Worthing leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors. If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share certificate. Obtaining a new share certificate is often a lengthy formality and delays many a Worthing home move. Where a reissued share is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

Worthing Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

How is the lease structured? What is the length of the lease? On the whole the cost for major works are not incorporated into the service charges, although some managing agents in Worthing require leasehold owners to pay into a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger works.