There are numerous conveyancing solicitors in Kingston but how do I know who I should use?

Do not opt for the cheapest Kingston conveyancing quote. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of the deal.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Kingston off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Bank of Ireland. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel.

I am selling my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in February 2007, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Lloyds are being a right pain. The Kingston solicitor who is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Lloyds are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Lloyds have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Lloyds have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Lloyds may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

My partner and I are selling our house in Kingston and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being constructed land that was not decontaminated. A high street Kingston lawyer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the buyers used a national conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Kingston. Having lived in Kingston for three years we know of no issue. Should we contact our local Authority to seek clarification that there is no issue.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm already. What do they say? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)

I'm purchasing my first flat in Kingston with the aid of help to buy. The builders refused to budge the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The sale representative suggested that I not inform my lawyer about this extras as it could adversely affect my loan with the lender. 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.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two apartments in Kingston both have about 50 years remaining on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Kingston is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the salability of the premises. The majority of buyers and lenders, leases with less than 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 property 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 Kingston conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new 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.

I acquired a 2 bed flat in Kingston, conveyancing formalities finalised May 2004. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Kingston with an extended lease are worth £176,000. The ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2105

You have 80 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £8,600 and £9,800 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

How do I identify reasonably priced conveyancing in Kingston?

Option 1 is to ask the people you trust who they would recommend. Second, look on the internet for conveyancing in Kingston. Telephone a couple or more firms from the list and request that they send you their conveyancing fees and discuss your needs with the solicitor who will conduct your conveyancing before you commit. Option 3 is to use this site to help you find the right lawyers taking into account your unique factors including location,speed, complexity and who the proposed lender is.Resist the temptation to appoint £99 conveyancing solicitors in Kingston