I am need of leasehold conveyancing for an apartment in a relatively new development (seven years old) in Amesbury. 95% of the properties are already occupied. Do I need carry out the conveyancing searches as part of conveyancing in Amesbury?
You are opening yourself up to an unnecessary risk in not carrying out Amesbury conveyancing searches. Without searches you have no clarity over flooding, environmental etc which may mean you walk away due to potential problems down the line. If you are buying without a mortgage there is no legal necessity to have them, but we would strongly advise in no uncertain terms that you have them. If accelerating the process and price are top of your concerns you should discuss with your conveyancer about the viability of search insurance
My house in Amesbury is up for sale and I have accepted an offer. Will my property lawyer need to be required to be on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel in order to deal with repayment of my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their panel criteria fairly frequently currently.
We are planning on selling our home in Amesbury and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was built land that was not decontaminated. Any high street Amesbury lawyer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers instructed a web based conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Amesbury. We have lived in Amesbury for many years we know that this is a non issue. Is it a good idea to contact our local Authority to obtain clarification that there is no issue.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You need to check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)
How does conveyancing in Amesbury differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Amesbury approach us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is finished. This is because builders in Amesbury usually buy the real estate, 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 Amesbury or who has acted in the same development.
Am I best advised to use a Amesbury conveyancing solicitor who is local to the property I am purchasing? I have an old university friend who can execute the conveyancing however they are based 200kilometers drive away.
The benefit of a local Amesbury conveyancing firm is that you can pop in to sign paperwork, deliver your identification documents and apply pressure on them where appropriate. They will also have local insight which is a bonus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If you know people who used your friend and in the main were content that must outweigh using an unfamiliar Amesbury conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being round the corner.