In the event thatI was to purchase a freehold homein Berwick Upon Tweed for cash and dispense with a survey and no local authority searches how much could I expect to to save on my conveyancing in Berwick Upon Tweed?

The sole saving you would achieve is the Berwick Upon Tweed conveyancing searches. A conveyancing practitioner is required to do the vast majority of work - money laundering, communicating with the vendors conveyancer, stamp duty return, register the title etc. You might save a bit for them not needing to register a charge but it will not be significant.

How does conveyancing in Berwick Upon Tweed differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Berwick Upon Tweed contact us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is completed. This is because house builders in Berwick Upon Tweed typically purchase the land, 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 property lawyers 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 Berwick Upon Tweed or who has acted in the same development.

I decided to have a survey carried out on a property in Berwick Upon Tweed ahead of instructing solicitors. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor advised that some lenders tend refuse to give a loan on a flying freehold home.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to telephone us we can look into this further via the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Berwick Upon Tweed. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

My cousin has suggested that I appoint his conveyancers in Berwick Upon Tweed. Do I take his recommendation?

No doubt it’s preferable to find a conveyancing solicitor is to have recommendations from friends or family who have used the firm you're are thinking of instructing.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Berwick Upon Tweed with the aim of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Berwick Upon Tweed can be bypassed where you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers’ representatives.
If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a property where a dispute is ongoing. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. 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 purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as over as opposed to unresolved. You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but you should double-check via your conveyancers. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is below 75 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale. Many landlords or managing agents in Berwick Upon Tweed charge for providing management packs for a leasehold home. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Berwick Upon Tweed.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Berwick Upon Tweed - A selection of Queries before buying

Many Berwick Upon Tweed leasehold apartments will incur a service bill for the upkeep of the building levied by the landlord. Where you purchase the flat you will have to meet this charge, usually periodically accross the year. This can be anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal grounds. In all probability there will be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, ordinarily this is not a large sum, say around £50-£100 but you should to enquire it because occasionally it can be prohibitively expensive. If a Berwick Upon Tweed lease has fewer than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the value of the property. Check with your bank that they are content with the length of the lease. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will probably require a lease extension at some point and you need to have some idea of what this will be. Remember, in most cases you would need to own the residence for a couple of years before you are entitled to carry out a lease extension. What restrictions exist in the Berwick Upon Tweed Lease?