This question may be naive but I am unexperienced as FTB of a two bedroom flat in Exton. Do I collect the keys to the property on completion from my lawyer? If this is the case, I will find a local conveyancing solicitor in Exton?

On the day of completion you will not be required to go to the conveyancers office in Exton. Conveyancing lawyers for you will electronically transfer the purchase money to the vendor’s conveyancers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you will be able to pick up the keys from the Estate Agents and move into your new home. Usually this happens between 1 and 3pm.

is it true that all Exton solicitor practices on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel are regulated by the SRA?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. The majority of banks do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the firms would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

We had appointed conveyancers locally in Exton on the Nationwide solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a separate charge for dealing with the Nationwide mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Nationwide?

Provided it is contained in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your conveyancer is entitled to charge a fee for this. The fee is not dictated by Nationwide but by your Exton conveyancer. Some firms on the Nationwide panel will levy ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.

I need some fast conveyancing in Exton as I am faced with pressure to exchange contracts within one month. A home loan is not required. Can I decline from having conveyancing searches to save fees and time?

If.Given you are are a mortgage free buyer you have the choice not to have searches conducted although no law firm would recommend that you don't. With plenty of history conveyancing in Exton the following are instances of what can show up and adversely affect market value: Refused Planning Applications, Outstanding Charges, Overdue Grants, Unadopted Roads,...

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build apartment in Exton. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Here is a sample of a few leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Exton

The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one close by in Exton I like with open areas and station nearby, the downside is that it only has 52 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Exton for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?

If you need a mortgage that many years will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.

I bought a house in Exton last 17/8/2023 and to date it is still not recorded with HM Land Registry. It is part of a new estate and my conveyancing practitioner told me that it may take over a year to register. I have called HM Land Registry directly and they say that the original application was cancelled due to failure to reply to requisitions. What can I do?

It is your conveyancing practitioner that you must get in touch with in order to satisfy any issues which have arisen as part of the registration formalities for your Exton property. Normal Exton conveyancing practice includes an undertaking on the part of the vendor’s lawyer that they will help resolve any requisition raised by HMLR so it may be a case of taking action to enforce that undertaking if necessary.