I am acquiring a property without a mortgage in Handsworth. I have been living for the previous 20 years in Handsworth. Conveyancing searches are a lot of money. As I have knowledge of the area and road intimately should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?

If you not getting a mortgage, then almost all of the Handsworth conveyancing searches are at your discretion. Your lawyer will 'advise', perhaps strongly, that you should have searches completed, but she is duty bound to take that path of guidance. Do take into account; if you are likely to sell the house at a future date, it could be of relevance to your future purchaser what the searches disclose. There are plenty of instances where premises with functional issues can still reveal unfavourable search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Handsworth should be able to give you some sensible advice concerning this.

What happens if my solicitor is suspended from the Principality Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Handsworth?

The first thing to point out is that, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.

I am purchasing a new build house in Handsworth benefiting from help to buy. The developers refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The sale representative suggested that I not inform my lawyer about this side-deal as it may adversely affect my loan with Virgin Money. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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.

I am attracted to a couple of flats in Handsworth both have in the region of 50 years left on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold apartment in Handsworth is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it reduces the marketability of the property. The majority of purchasers and mortgage companies, leases with under 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Handsworth conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

Handsworth Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

What is the the remaining lease term? Generally speaking the outlay for major works tend not to be built into the service charges, although some managing agents in Handsworth require leaseholders to contribute towards a sinking fund and this is used to offset against major works. This question is helpful as a) areas may result in problems for the block as the common areas may start to deteriorate if repairs remain unpaid b) if the leasehold owners have a dispute with the running of the building you will need to know about it

I have just appointed agents to market my garden flat in Handsworth.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have recently received a half-yearly service charge invoice – what should I do?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear the service charge as normal as all rents and maintenance charges will be apportionedas part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process