I just acquired a flat at auction in Crediton. Conveyancing is necessary. What is next?

Now that you are exchanged you will need to appoint a conveyancing lawyer quickly as you are faced with a pending deadline in which to complete the property. An auction property should have a corresponding legal pack. This will include most,if not all of the documents that your lawyer will need. If you have purchased leasehold premises the auction papers should contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing documentation pertinent to a leasehold property. You must pass this on to the solicitor instructed by you at the earliest opportunity. Do make sure that that you have the requisite funding organised to complete on the on the contractual date .

I recently had an offer accepted on a house in Crediton. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their lawyer. I paid an upfront payment of £150. Soon after, the solicitor contacted me to say that they were not on the Santander conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Santander panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Having read lots of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Crediton solicitor - who is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?

Coventry BS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Coventry BS will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Crediton surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

I note that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Am I compelled to take this when acquiring a property in Crediton? or I am told that there is a law dating back centuries that could mean that owners of property residing in a parish church boundary will be compelled to contribute towards repairs towards the chancel in proximity to the church. Is this appropriate for conveyancing in Crediton?

Unless a prior acquisition of the premises completed after 12 October 2013 you may take it that lawyers conducting conveyancing in Crediton to continue to recommend a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.

I am purchasing a new build house in Crediton with the aid of help to buy. The builders refused to move on the amount so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent suggested that I not disclose to my lawyer about this side-deal as it would adversely affect my mortgage with Halifax. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

In what way does the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my business offices in Crediton and how can you help?

The 1954 Act affords security of tenure to commercial lessees, granting the right to make a request to court for a continuation of occupancy at the end of an expired lease. There are certain specified grounds that a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are complex. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Crediton is one of our numerous areas of the UK in which the firms we work with have offices

I've found a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have since discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Crediton. Conveyancing solicitors have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Crediton ?

Most houses in Crediton are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Crediton in which case you should be shopping around for a Crediton conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor should appraise you on the various issues.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Crediton - Sample of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their maintenance charge payments? In the main the cost for major works are not wrapped into the maintenance charges, albeit that there some managing agents in Crediton require leaseholders to pay into a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger repairs or maintenance. Does the lease include onerous restrictions?