Me and my partner are acquiring our first property. The lawyer has contact usto check if we want to purchase additional conveyancing searches. We are really unsure what's needed for conveyancing in Pembroke

The scope of Pembroke conveyancing searches depends primarily on the premises, the location, the probability of any of these risks, your knowledge of the region and risks, your overall attitude to risk. What matters is that you properly appreciate what information the searches could give you. Then you can make a decision if you personally think you need that information. If in doubt, ask your conveyancing practitioner to explain.

If you had a top tip for selecting a conveyancing solicitor in Pembroke what would it be?

Do not opt for the cheapest Pembroke conveyancing quote. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. 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.

is it true that all Pembroke solicitor firms on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Virgin Money approved list of solicitors they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. The majority of banks do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such organisation would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

After what feels like an age I have had an offer on an apartment in Pembroke agreed to, but there is a chain. The vendors have offered on a property, but it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. I have chosen a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Pembroke. What do I do now? At what point do I apply for the mortgage with Principality?

It is usual to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs too early (mortgage application is approx one thousand pounds, then valuation, Pembroke conveyancing search charges, etc). The first course of action is to check that your solicitor is on the Principality approved list. As to the subsequent stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your transaction, motivation for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot market many purchasers would apply for a home loan with Principality and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their solicitor to proceed with the conveyancing in Pembroke.

Will our lawyer be raising enquiries concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Pembroke.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers dealing with homes in Pembroke. Some people will buy a house in Pembroke, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Conveyancers are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a various checks that may be carried out by the buyer or by their solicitors which should give them a better understanding of the risks in Pembroke. The standard information supplied to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a usual question of the owner to determine if the property has ever been flooded. If the premises has been flooded in past and is not revealed by the seller, then a buyer may issue a legal claim for losses resulting from an incorrect response. The buyer’s conveyancers may also order an environmental report. This will disclose whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further inquiries should be initiated.

I have todaydiscovered that Stirling Law have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Pembroke for a purchase of a freehold house 12 months ago. How can I establish that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?

The quickest method to see if the premises is in your name, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Pembroke conveyancing specialists.

My wife and I may need to rent out our Pembroke basement flat for a while due to a new job. We used a Pembroke conveyancing firm in 2003 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to seek any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Pembroke do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Pembroke - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

It is important to be aware if changing the roof or some other major work is due shortly to be shared between the leaseholders and may well materially impact the level of the maintenance charges or result in a specific invoice. Who manages the block? The best form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this situation the lessees benefit from being in charge if their destiny and even though a managing agent is usually employed if the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants.