A relative advised me that where I am buying in North Acton I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your North Acton conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing important information about North Acton 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 statistics, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning North Acton.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and found one close by in North Acton I like with a park and transport links nearby, however it's only got 52 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in North Acton in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

Should you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

What makes your site different to alternative web based conveyancing solicitors for conveyancing in North Acton?

At this site obtain a conveyancing costs illustration via a Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer that appreciates the nuances for your conveyancing in North Acton. Unlike many estate agents and brokerage sites we do not operate commission arrangements with solicitors. Many agents and online brokers 'recommend' the firm who pay the most commission, rather than the best value conveyancing in North Acton

I am one month into a freehold purchase having been referred to a firm by the estate agent to handle our conveyancing in North Acton. We are not happy. Could you help me find new lawyers?

They would need to be very bad in order to consider diss instructing them. Has your loan offer been sent? If so you need to inform them of the new lawyer and get the offer are re-sent. The conveyancer needs to be on the lenders approved list to avoid escalating costs and frustration. So that should be your first question of the new lawyers. The search tool can help you find a bank approved solicitor for your home move in North Acton

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in North Acton with the aim of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in North Acton can be bypassed if you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
A minority of North Acton leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers. If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a replacement share certificate can be a time consuming process and slows down many a North Acton home move. Where a duplicate share is required, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later. If you have had any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a flat where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as historic as opposed to unsettled. The majority of freeholders or managing agents in North Acton levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in North Acton.

After years of dialogue we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in North Acton. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a North Acton conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a North Acton premises is 49 Long Drive in March 2014. The tribunal concluded that the price payable for the freehold interest in the Property should be £26,491 divided as to £12,546 in respect of the ground floor flat and £13,945 in respect of the
first floor flat This case was in relation to 2 flats. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 68.47 years.