I am in the market for a low cost conveyancer. Do I opt for an online conveyancer as opposed to a family Stonehouse conveyancing solicitor?

Stonehouse is a unique place, where local experience is a significant benefit. The relaxed pace of life has it’s attractions – just not when it comes to your home move. The property lawyers that we recommend providing specialist Stonehouse know how with a positive, hands-onapproach that ensures everything runs smoothly. It will certainly help that they benefit from good connections with mortgage brokers, local authorities, valuers and other Stonehouse conveyancing practices

What is your number one tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Stonehouse

It would be unwise to be swayed by the cheapest Stonehouse conveyancing quote. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

We previously selected conveyancing lawyers based in Stonehouse on the Bank of Ireland solicitor panel. They have just billed me a supplemental fee for handling the Bank of Ireland mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Bank of Ireland?

Provided it is contained in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your conveyancer is entitled to levy a fee for this. The fee is not set by Bank of Ireland but by your Stonehouse conveyancing practitioner. Plenty of firms on the Bank of Ireland panel will quote an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.

My sealed bid on a house in Stonehouse has been agreed to, but there is a chain. The vendors have offered on somewhere, however it’s not yet agreed to, and are looking at other flats in the pipeline. I have chosen a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Stonehouse. What should be my next step? At what stage should I apply for the mortgage with TSB?

It is normal to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is approx £1k, then valuation, Stonehouse conveyancing search costs, etc). The first course of action is to check that your conveyancing practitioner is on the TSB conveyancing panel. Concerning the subsequent phase this very much depends on the uniqueness of your transaction, attraction to this property and on the state of the market. During a buoyant market some buyers will apply for a home loan with TSB and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their lawyer to move forward with the conveyancing in Stonehouse.

Will our lawyer be making enquiries about flooding during the conveyancing in Stonehouse.

Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors dealing with homes in Stonehouse. Plenty of people will acquire a house in Stonehouse, fully expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a various searches that may be undertaken by the purchaser or by their lawyers which can give them a better appreciation of the risks in Stonehouse. The conventional set of information sent to a buyer’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) contains a standard inquiry of the seller to discover whether the premises has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred and is not notified by the vendor, then a purchaser could commence a compensation claim as a result of such an misleading response. A buyer’s lawyers may also conduct an environmental report. This should reveal whether there is any known flood risk. If so, further inquiries will need to be made.

I am buying my first flat in Stonehouse with the aid of help to buy. The developers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated 6k of additionals instead. The property agent told me not inform my lawyer about the extras as it would impact my loan 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.

Last September I purchased a leasehold flat in Stonehouse. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I invested in buying a 1st floor flat in Stonehouse, conveyancing having been completed April 2001. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Comparable flats in Stonehouse with an extended lease are worth £222,000. The ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease ends on 21st October 2096

With only 71 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.