We just had an offer accepted to purchase with Darlington Building Society. I called into a few local practices yet am struggling to find a Dorking conveyancing firm on the Darlington Building Society approved list. Can you help?

Please do make use of the search tool on this web page. Pick the mortgage company and type Dorking or your preferred area and you will be presented with a number of lawyer located in Dorking or by proximity to you.

I am purchasing my first flat in Dorking benefiting from help to buy. The builders would not move on the price so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent told me not to tell my lawyer about this extras as it would impact my loan with Lloyds TSB Bank. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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.

Due to the input of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Dorking ahead of instructing solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. My surveyor advised that some lenders tend refuse to grant a mortgage on this type of property.

It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different instructions for example to Nationwide. If you contact us we can investigate further with the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Dorking. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Dorking to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.

In what way can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my commercial offices in Dorking and how can you help?

The 1954 Act affords a safeguard to business leaseholders, granting the a statutory right to apply to court for a continuation of occupancy when the lease reaches an end. There are limited grounds that a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are involved. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing practices who use the act to your advantage and help with commercial conveyancing in Dorking

I work for a busy estate agency in Dorking where we have witnessed a few leasehold sales put at risk as a result of short leases. I have been given contradictory information from local Dorking conveyancing firms. Could you shed some light as to whether the seller of a flat can start the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

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 proposed purchaser need not have to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder 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 buyer.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Dorking - Sample of Queries Prior to buying

Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge payments? Best to be warned whether a new roof is being installed or some other major work is coming up to be shared by the tenants and will materially impact the level of the service fees or require a one off invoice. Does the lease have onerous restrictions?