What is the difference between a licensed conveyancer and conveyancing solicitor in London

There are many recorded licenced Conveyancers in London and Solicitor practices in London to choose from We would stress that the two are regulated professionals specialising in the legal aspects of transferring property. They may both also deal with associated property related work such as remortgage conveyancing, lease extensions and transfer of equity conveyancing.

I have been told by my solicitor that restrictive coveneant insurance is required on my purchase. What is the level of cover for London conveyancing?

The appropriate level of restrictive coveneant indemnity insurance depends on who your lender is. It would differ for example between Accord Mortgages Ltd and Skipton Building Society. Conveyancing solicitors as opposed to borrowers take out such insurances.

How can we know in advance if a London conveyancing solicitor on the TSB panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in London getting recommendations is a good starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advocate that you speak with the solicitor conducting your conveyancing.

Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that could affect a commercial estate in London?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in London will conduct a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers spend in looking into accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in London. The search result sets out definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in London.

For each commercial conveyancing transaction in London it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can cause delays to London commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not carried out for residential conveyancing in London.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in London?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in London. 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…’

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in London ahead of instructing conveyancers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. Our surveyor has said that some lenders will refuse to grant a mortgage on such a property.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different instructions for example to Halifax. If you contact us we can check with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in London. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

What is the average legal costs for conveyancing in London?

The average cost last year for conveyancing in London was just over one thousand four hundred and fifty pounds excluding SDLT and HMLR fees.