My fiance and I changing mortgage lender for our apartment in Shiremoor with Kent Reliance. We have a son 19 who lives with us. Our solicitor has asked us to disclose any adults other than ourselves who reside at the property. The solicitor has now sent a form for our son to sign, waiving any legal rights in the event that the apartment is repossessed. I have two concerns (1) Is this form unique to the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel as he never had to sign this form when we purchased 5 years ago (2) Does our son by signing this giving up his entitlement to inherit the property?

On the face of it your lawyer has done nothing wrong as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Kent Reliance. This is solely used to protect Kent Reliance if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave. It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Kent Reliance had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.

How does conveyancing in Shiremoor differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Shiremoor approach us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is completed. This is because builders in Shiremoor tend to purchase the site, 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 conveyancers 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 Shiremoor or who has acted in the same development.

I am using a search engine for the term cheap conveyancing in Shiremoor it shows results of numerous property lawyerslocally. How do I determine which is the suitable solicitor for the sale of my house?

The ideal method of choosing a suitable conveyancer is through a trusted referral, so ask friends and family who have purchased a property in Shiremoor or a reputable estate agent or financial adviser. Costs for conveyancing in Shiremoor vary, so it's a good idea to obtain at least four fee calculations from varying types of conveyancers. Make sure that you know what costs in the quote includes.

I have just appointed agents to market my garden flat in Shiremoor. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, but I have recently had a half-yearly service charge invoice – Do I pay up?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should pay the invoice as usual given that all rents and maintenance invoices should be apportioned on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Shiremoor - A selection of Questions you should consider before buying

The best form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this situation the tenants enjoy being in charge if their destiny and notwithstanding that a managing agent is frequently employed where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. Does this lease have in excess of 82 years left? In the main the cost for major works are not incorporated into the service charges, although a few managing agents in Shiremoor require leaseholders to pay into a sinking fund and this is used to offset against larger works.

I happen to be an executor of my recently deceased mum’s Will, with a bungalow in Shiremoor which will be sold. The house has never been registered at the Land Registry and I'm advised that some EAs will insist that it is in place before they'll move forward. What's the procedure for this?

In the situation you refer to it seems prudent to apply to register in the names of the personal representative(s) as named in the probate and in their capacity as PRs. HMLR’s online guidance explains how to register for the first time and what is required re the deeds and forms. You would need to include and certified copy of the probate as well and complete the form FR1 to refer to the PRs as the applicant.