What is your number one tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Merseyside

It would be unwise to be swayed by the lowest Merseyside conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying 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 go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

This question may be naive but I am unexperienced as FTB of a garden flat in Merseyside. Do I receive the keys to the premises on completion from my lawyer? If so, I will find a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Merseyside?

On the day of completion you will not be required to go to the conveyancers office in Merseyside. Your solicitors will electronically transfer the completion advance to the owner’s solicitors, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you should be invited to collect the keys from the property Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this happens early afternoon.

We had chosen conveyancers with offices in Merseyside on the Skipton solicitor approved list. They have just billed me an additional sum for the legal aspects of the Skipton mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by Skipton?

Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your conveyancing practitioner can levy a fee for this. This charge is not dictated by Skipton but by your Merseyside conveyancer. Some firms on the Skipton panel will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee but many practices incorporate it on their overall fee.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build apartment in Merseyside. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.

Here are examples of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Merseyside

The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision.

Is it best to choose a Merseyside conveyancing solicitor based in the area that I am buying? An old friend can handle the legal formalities however they are based over three hundred miles away.

The primary upside of using a high street Merseyside conveyancing firm is that you can visit the firm to execute documents, present your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. Having local Merseyside know how is a plus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who instructed your friend and in the main were impressed that should outweigh using an unknown Merseyside conveyancing solicitor just because they are based in the area.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Merseyside conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Merseyside conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggest that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Merseyside conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be of use:

How many lease extensions have they carried out in Merseyside in the last twenty four months? Can they put you in touch with clients in Merseyside who can give a testimonial?

Merseyside Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should consider before buying

Most Merseyside leasehold apartments will incur a service charge for maintenance of the building levied on behalf of the freeholder. If you buy the flat you will have to pay this liability, usually in instalments accross the year. This can be anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common grounds. In all likelihood there will be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a large amount, say around £50-£100 but you should to enquire it because sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds. If a Merseyside lease has fewer than 80 years it will impact the value of the apartment. Check with your bank that they are willing to lend given the lease term. A short lease means that you will most likely have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of how much this would cost. For most Merseysidelease extensions you will need to own the premises for a couple of years in order to be legally able to extend the lease. Does this lease have in excess of 82 years left?

What can I do to determine who owns a house in Merseyside?

As long as the property is recorded at the Land Registry, and you have requisite information of the address of the premises, you will be able to obtain details from the HM Land Registry of the recorded proprietor for a for less than a fiver.