We just had an offer accepted to purchase with Earl Shilton BS. I visited a few local practices yet am struggling to find a Summertown and Botley conveyancing firm on the Earl Shilton BS panel. Could you help?

Please do take advantage of the search tool on this site. Please choose the building society and type Summertown and Botley or your location and you will be presented with a number of lawyer based in Summertown and Botley or nearest you.

Have just purchased a probate house at auction in Summertown and Botley. Conveyancing is needed. What is next?

Now that you have legally committed yourself to purchase you will need to instruct a conveyancing lawyer quickly as you will have a pending a drop dead date to complete the conveyancing. An auction property should have an associated legal set of papers. This will include most,if not all of the paperwork that your solicitor requires. Where you are dealing with leasehold premises the conveyancing pack may include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing paperwork relating to a leasehold property. You need to pass this on to the conveyancer instructed by you as soon as possible. You also need to ensure that that you have the requisite funding in place to complete on the date specified in the contract.

The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Summertown and Botley. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?

Almost all banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Team at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are sorted out very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.

Our sealed bid on a property in Summertown and Botley has been accepted, the vendors do nevertheless have a tied purchase. The sellers have offered on a flat, however it’s not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other apartments booked. I have chosen a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Summertown and Botley. What do I do now? When do I get the mortgage application with RBS going?

It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (home loan application is in the region of one thousand pounds, then valuation, Summertown and Botley conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you must ensure that your property lawyer is on the RBS approved list. Regarding the subsequent phase this very much depends on the specifics of your transaction, attraction to the property and on the state of the market. During a rising market many home buyers will apply for the mortgage with RBS and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they ask their solicitor to press on with the conveyancing in Summertown and Botley.

Will our conveyancer be making enquiries about flooding during the conveyancing in Summertown and Botley.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers conducting conveyancing in Summertown and Botley. There are those who acquire a house in Summertown and Botley, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Solicitors are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a various checks that can be initiated by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which should figure out the risks in Summertown and Botley. The standard property information forms sent to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a standard inquiry of the owner to find out if the property has ever been flooded. If flooding has previously occurred and is not disclosed by the seller, then a purchaser could commence a claim for damages stemming from an inaccurate response. A purchaser’s lawyers should also order an environmental report. This should indicate if there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries will need to be conducted.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one near me in Summertown and Botley I like with a park and station nearby, the downside is that it only has 52 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Summertown and Botley in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?

If you need a mortgage that many years will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Summertown and Botley conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Summertown and Botley conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Summertown and Botley conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be useful:

What are the legal fees for lease extension conveyancing?

I inherited a split level flat in Summertown and Botley, conveyancing was carried out April 2007. 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? Equivalent flats in Summertown and Botley with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease runs out on 21st October 2080

With just 56 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £29,500 and £34,000 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. 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. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.