A relative advised me that where I am buying in Haverhill I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Haverhill conveyancing searches. It is a large document of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing important information about Haverhill around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Haverhill.

How does conveyancing in Haverhill differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Haverhill come to us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is constructed. This is because builders in Haverhill tend to purchase the site, 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 used to new build conveyancing in Haverhill or who has acted in the same development.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. Haverhill is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Haverhill are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Haverhill you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Haverhill may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

I am a negotiator for a long established estate agency in Haverhill where we have witnessed a few flat sales put at risk due to short leases. I have been given contradictory information from local Haverhill conveyancing solicitors. Could you confirm whether the vendor of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is 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 has to be done prior to, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord 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 purchaser.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Haverhill - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

It would be wise to discover as much as possible concerning the managing agents as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you will be in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to every day matters such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Ask prospective neighbours whether they are happy with them. Finally, find out the dates that the maintenance fees are due to the managing agents and precisely what it includes. How is the lease structured? What prohibitions are there in the Haverhill Lease?

Do online conveyancing organisations undertake everything a high street Haverhill solicitor does or do I still need to retain a solicitor for the final stages for my conveyancing in Haverhill?

Where you use an online conveyancer they should undertake all the work your Haverhill solicitor would cover.