My Shenfield lawyer has uncovered a discrepancy between the assumptions in the home valuation survey and what is in the legal papers for the property. My solicitor informs me that he is obliged to ensure that the bank is OK with this discrepancy and is content to go ahead. Is my solicitor’s approach appropriate?

Your lawyer must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for both parties.

Forgive me if this question is silly but I am unseasoned as FTB of a ground floor flat in Shenfield. Do I collect the keys to the property on the completion date from my solicitor? If so, I will find a local conveyancing solicitor in Shenfield?

On the day of completion you will not be required to attend the conveyancers office in Shenfield. Your solicitors will electronically transfer the purchase money to the owner’s lawyers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you will be able to receive the keys from the Estate Agents and move into your new home. Usually this happens early afternoon.

Please help - my lawyer says that breach of easement insurance is needed on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Shenfield?

The appropriate level of breach of easement indemnity insurance depends on who your lender is. It would differ for example between Lloyds TSB Bank and Chelsea Building Society. Conveyancing lawyers as opposed to members of the public take out such insurances.

Co-operative have agreed my home loan in principle, my bid on a house in Shenfield has been agreed to, what are the next steps?

The estate agent will want to know who your solicitors are (make sure the conveyancing practitioners are on the bank’s panel). Telephone Co-operative or the financial adviser and finish off any relevant paperwork. Co-operative will appoint a valuer who will get in touch with the estate agent or seller to arrange a time for the valuation to occur. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes on average a week for the mortgage offer to be issued. Co-operative will issue the offer to you and your conveyancing practitioners. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Shenfield.

How does conveyancing in Shenfield differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Shenfield come to us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is constructed. This is because developers in Shenfield tend to buy the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Shenfield or who has acted in the same development.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and identified one near me in Shenfield I like with a park and station nearby, the downside is that it only has 49 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Shenfield suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

Should you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Shenfield. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and most are in Shenfield - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Shenfield Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

Can you tell me if there are any major works in the near future that could increase the maintenance charges? What is the name of the managing agents? Most Shenfield leasehold properties will be liable to pay a service bill for maintenance of the building levied by the management company. Where you buy the apartment you will have to meet this charge, usually in instalments throughout the year. This could differ from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built blocks. There will also be a ground rent to be met annual, this is usually not a significant amount, say approximately £50-£100 but you need to enquire it because sometimes it could be many hundreds of pounds.