Will my conveyancer be raising questions regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in Kennington.

Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers dealing with homes in Kennington. There are those who purchase a property in Kennington, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or sell the property. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.

Solicitors are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a number of searches that can be initiated by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which should give them a better understanding of the risks in Kennington. The conventional set of information sent to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a standard question of the vendor to determine whether the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that the premises has been flooded in past which is not revealed by the vendor, then a buyer could bring a compensation claim as a result of such an misleading answer. A buyer’s solicitors may also carry out an environmental report. This will disclose whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations will need to be carried out.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Kennington?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Kennington. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and found one close by in Kennington I like with open areas and transport links in the vicinity, however it only has 61 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Kennington suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease may be problematic. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you could ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor for some conveyancing in Kennington. I have stumble upon a web site which looks to be the perfect answer If there is a chance to get all this stuff done via phone that would be preferable. Should I be concerned? What should out be looking out for?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Kennington. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Kennington are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Kennington in which case you should be looking for a Kennington conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the freeholder’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will advise you fully on all the issues.