Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Yateley is not on my lender's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of his conveyancing?

That would more than likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are plenty of plausible explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Where you are concerned you should contact the Yateley conveyancing practice and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.

Will my lawyer be asking questions concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Yateley.

Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers carrying out conveyancing in Yateley. There are those who buy a property in Yateley, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Lawyers are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, however there are a various searches that can be initiated by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which will figure out the risks in Yateley. The conventional set of property information forms supplied to a purchaser’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) contains a usual question of the vendor to discover if the property has historically flooded. In the event that the property has been flooded in past and is not revealed by the seller, then a buyer could commence a compensation claim as a result of such an inaccurate response. The purchaser’s conveyancers may also commission an environmental report. This will indicate whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further inquiries will need to be made.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Yateley I like with a park and railway links in the vicinity, however it's only got 52 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Yateley for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

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 existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you can request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.

I am using a search engine for the words on line conveyancing in Yateley it reveals many solicitorsin the area. How do I determine which is the suitable conveyancing solicitor for my move?

The preferential way of choosing a suitable conveyancer is via trusted recommendation, so ask friends and relatives who have purchased a property in Yateley or a respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Charges for conveyancing in Yateley vary, so it's a good idea to obtain at least three fee calculations from varying types of companies. Be sure to seek confirmation that the fees are fixed.

I have just started marketing my 2 bed flat in Yateley. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, however I have recently received a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should pay the maintenance contribution as you normally would as all ground rent and service payments will be allotted on completion, 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 managing agents 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.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Yateley - Examples of Queries before buying

Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge liability? In the main the outlay for major works are not included within service charges, albeit that some managing agents in Yateley obliged leaseholders to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific purpose of building a fund for major repairs or maintenance. Does the lease include onerous restrictions?