My wife and I have lately bought a house in Roehampton. We have since encountered a number of problems with the house which we believe were omitted in the conveyancing searches. Do we have any recourse? Can you clarify the type of searches that needed to have been ordered for conveyancing in Roehampton?

The query is vague as to the nature of the problems and if they are unique to conveyancing in Roehampton. Conveyancing searches and due diligence undertaken during the legal transfer of property are carried out to help avoid problems. As part of the legal transfer of property, a property owner answers a document called a Seller’s Property Information Form. answers is misleading, then you may have a claim against the seller for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Roehampton.

Should lawyers ask for money up-front for conveyancing in Roehampton?

Where you are retaining lawyers for conveyancing in Roehampton your lawyer will ask you to provide them with monies to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. This will be the total of the cost of the Local Authority Search. When the deposit is as part of the purchase price then this will be needed immediately before exchange of contracts. Any further balance that is due will be payable a couple of days prior to the completion date.

A relative recommended that if I am purchasing in Roehampton I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is occasionally included in the estimate for your Roehampton conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and detailing important information about Roehampton around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Roehampton Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Roehampton Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning Roehampton.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Roehampton. 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 is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Roehampton

Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Please confirm the Lease plans are architect prepared. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company?

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Roehampton with the aim of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Roehampton can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers’ conveyancers.
If you have had any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a flat where a dispute is unresolved. You will have to accept that you will have to pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as over as opposed to ongoing. If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should make sure that you hold the original share document. Arranging a duplicate share certificate can be a lengthy process and frustrates many a Roehampton conveyancing transaction. Where a new share is needed, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later. You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this via your conveyancers. A purchaser's lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the remaining number of years is below 75 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale. The majority of landlords or Management Companies in Roehampton levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold home. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Roehampton.

I am the leaseholder of a two-bedroom flat in Roehampton. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the premium due for the purchase of the freehold?

Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Roehampton conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Roehampton flat is 19 St. Margarets Crescent in August 2010. the tribunal was of the view that the premium to be paid by the leaseholder for the freehold reversion was £51,983.00 This case affected 3 flats. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 66.25 years.