I am purchasing a house mortgage free in Amesbury. I have been residing for the previous 20 years in Amesbury. Conveyancing searches are exorbitant. Given that I have knowledge of the area and road very well must I have all the conveyancing searches?

Provided that you do not need a mortgage, then the vast majority of the Amesbury conveyancing searches are non-obligatory. Your conveyancer will ’encourage you, perhaps strongly, that you should have searches done, but he has a professional duty to do this. One thing to take into account; if you are going to sell the house at a future date, it may be of relevance to your prospective purchaser what the searches disclose. Sometimes premises with functional issues can still throw up unfavourable search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Amesbury will provide you some helpful advice here.

I am assisting my mother sell her property in Amesbury. Does the conveyancer commission an energy performance certificate or it is for the seller to coordinate?

After the abolition of Home Information Packs, EPC’s was retained a compulsory element of selling a property. An EPC needs to be commissioned prior to the property being advertised. This is not a task that law firms normally organise. If you are using a Amesbury conveyancing practitioner they may help arrange energy assessments due to their relationships with reputable Amesbury providers

Is it the case that all Amesbury solicitor practices on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel they would need to be overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. The majority of banks do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the firms would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I am purchasing a property in Amesbury. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Skipton be concerned?

As your lender is Skipton your lawyer must check the formal requirements outlined in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Skipton. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to Skipton where a lease fails to meet these requirements. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Amesbury.

Should our solicitor be making enquiries about flooding during the conveyancing in Amesbury.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors specialising in conveyancing in Amesbury. There are those who buy a property in Amesbury, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a number of checks that may be initiated by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which should give them a better appreciation of the risks in Amesbury. The conventional set of information supplied to a buyer’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a standard question of the vendor to determine whether the property has ever been flooded. If flooding has previously occurred which is not notified by the seller, then a purchaser could commence a compensation claim as a result of such an incorrect answer. The buyer’s conveyancers will also order an enviro report. This will disclose if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations will need to be initiated.

As co-executor for the will of my father I am selling a residence in Newport but I am based in Amesbury. My solicitor (who is 300 miles awayneeds me to execute a statutory declaration prior to completion. Can you recommend a conveyancing solicitor in Amesbury who can witness this legal document for me?

Technically speaking you should not be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or qualified solicitor will do regardless of whether they are Amesbury based

All being well we will complete the disposal of our £275,000 flat in Amesbury in 5 days. The management company has quoted £348 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Amesbury?

For most leasehold sales in Amesbury conveyancing will involve, questions about the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

Completing pre-contract questions Where consent is required before sale in Amesbury Supplying insurance information Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Amesbury leasehold premises is £350. For Amesbury conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to provide answers.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Amesbury - Examples of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

It is important to be aware if a new roof is being put on or some other significant cost is due in the foreseeable future that will be shared between the tenants and will materially impact the level of the service fees or require a one off payment. The answer will be helpful as a) areas could result in problems in the building as the communal areas may start to deteriorate if repairs remain unpaid b) if the tenants have a dispute with the running of the building you will wish to have all the details Is there a share of the freehold?