Why would one use a St John's Wood conveyancing firm given that online conveyancers are so much cheaper?
To take your time to find shop around for conveyancing costs in St John's Wood and you should seek a reasonable estimate but don’t be focused with getting the lowest priced St John's Wood conveyancer. Identifying the right conveyancer can be the distinction between a smooth and a frustrating move. It is important that you ensure that you have expert advice from an experienced solicitor. Emails can't replace a telephone conversation and are no substitute for a face to face appointment. The firms that we work with will appoint you a qualified and trusted conveyancing solicitor who can deal with your conveyancing from from the outset to completion, providing a level of hand holding that you will never get with an internet conveyancer. He or She will inform you as to any developments and keep you informed. Should you need to contact the firm you will be sure who you need to speak to and they will ensure you're not left wondering what's going on.
My colleague recommended that where I am buying in St John's Wood I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
This is a search is usually quoted for as part of the standard St John's Wood conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about St John's Wood around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the St John's Wood Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, St John's Wood Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information regarding St John's Wood.
I decided to have a survey done on a house in St John's Wood prior to appointing conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. The surveyor advised that some lenders will not give a mortgage on such a house.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different instructions for example to Birmingham Midshires. If you contact us we can look into this further via the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in St John's Wood. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in St John's Wood especially if they are familiar with such properties in St John's Wood.
Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my 2 bed apartment in St John's Wood. Conveyancing has not commenced, but I have recently received a yearly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?
It best that you discharge the service charge as you normally would because all ground rent and service charges should be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.
Having spent years of negotiations we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in St John's Wood. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?
Most definitely. We can put you in touch with a St John's Wood conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a St John's Wood residence is Garden Flat 195 Goldhurst Terrace in May 2012. The Tribunal held in accordance with section 48 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease should be £60,855.00. This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 60.16 years.
What is the distinction between surveying and conveyancing in St John's Wood?
Conveyancing - in St John's Wood or anywhere in England and Wales - is the process of legally transferring legal title of property from one person to another. It therefore includes the checking of the title. Whether buying or selling, you should be aware of anything affecting the property such as proposals by government departments, illegal buildings, or outstanding rates. The conveyancer should conduct the appropriate searches and inquiries on the property. Surveying relates to the structure of a property itself. A surveyor will look at a house, flat and any outbuildings you’re intending to buy and will help you find out about the condition of the building and, if there are problems, give you a powerful reason for negotiating the purchase price down or asking the seller to remedy the defects prior to you move in.