Finally the sale completed on my house in Rayleigh last July but our buyer keeps SMS messaging me complaining that their lawyer is waiting to hear from mine. What should my lawyer have done following completion?

Following your sale your conveyancer is duty bound to deliver the transfer deeds and all supplemental paperwork to the purchaser's solicitors. If applicable, your lawyer should also evidence that the home loan has been redeemed to the buyers lawyers. There is unlikely to be post completion procedures unique to conveyancing in Rayleigh.

My relative recommended that if I am buying in Rayleigh I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is occasionally included in the estimate for your Rayleigh conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing significant information about Rayleigh around the property and the people living there. It incorporates 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 regarding Rayleigh.

I am buying my first flat in Rayleigh with the aid of help to buy. The builders refused to budge the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative suggested that I not inform my lawyer about the deal as it would put at risk my mortgage with the lender. Should I keep quiet?.

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.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Rayleigh from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Rayleigh can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable verify this by asking your solicitors. A purchaser's conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the lease term is under 75 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale. Some Rayleigh leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their solicitors. If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Rayleigh leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord approving such works. If you dont have the paperwork in place you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor before hand.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Rayleigh - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

Is anyone aware of any major works anticipated that could increase the maintenance fees? Be sure to discover if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For example some leases prohibit pets being allowed in in a block in Rayleigh. If you like the flatin Rayleigh yet your dog is not allowed to move with you then you will be faced difficult decision. What is the the remaining lease term?

I am due to assess costs for conveyancing in Rayleigh from numerous conveyancer and appoint one. Do I tell them to hold tight until I I have an offer accepted on a flat.

You should wait to request your solicitor to open a file and order searches after the offer has been agreed to on the property particularly as Rayleigh conveyancing searches are not cheap.