Can the conveyancing lawyers that you recommend execute conveyancing in Ardwick by way of an attended exchange?

There are a few conveyancing specialists carrying out attended exchanges. You should call us to get a costs illustration and details as to dates.

Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Ardwick before appointing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the house. My surveyor advised that some mortgage companies tend not grant a loan on this type of house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can check via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Ardwick. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Ardwick to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.

I have been sourcing a conveyancing lawyer in Ardwick for my home move. Can I check a solicitor's record with the profession’s regulator?

You may search for documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find records Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may monitor call for training purposes.

I work for a reputable estate agent office in Ardwick where we have witnessed a number of flat sales put at risk due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local Ardwick conveyancing firms. Could you shed some light as to whether the owner of a flat can instigate the lease extension process for the buyer?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Ardwick - Examples of Queries before buying

The answer will be useful as a) areas could result in problems for the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where repairs are not paid for b) if the tenants have a dispute with the managing agents you will need to know about it Many Ardwick leasehold flats will incur a service bill for the upkeep of the block set on behalf of the landlord. Where you acquire the property you will have to pay this contribution, normally quarterly throughout the year. This can be anything from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal areas. In all probability there will be a ground rent to be met annual, this is usually not a exorbitant figure, say around £50-£100 but you need to enquire as on occasion it can be many hundreds of pounds. The prefered form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this scenario the lessees benefit from being in charge if their destiny and even though a managing agent is usually retained where it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders.

My estate agent has suggested using their lawyer for the conveyancing in Ardwick - Surely it’s better to just use them?

It is not always the case and you are free to opt for whichever conveyancing practitioner you decide for your Ardwick home move. A conveyancer suggested by a 3rd party adviser may not necessarily be the right conveyancer, they may recommend their preferred conveyancing firm who are based far away. In this instance you may not have contact with your solicitor and due to the lack of continuity in the transaction, it may be difficult to obtain updates.