I am buying a garden flat in Topsham. How practical is it for me to do the conveyancing?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Topsham you will have to appoint a solicitor on your mortgage company's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Topsham.

I am helping my step-mother sell her property in Topsham. Will the conveyancing solicitor arrange an energy performance certificate or should I organise this?

After the abolition of HIPs, EPC’s remained a required component of selling a house. An EPC should be to hand in advance of the property being put on the market. It is not something that conveyancers normally organise. Where you are using a Topsham conveyancing lawyer they may be willing to arrange energy performance certificates due to their contacts with long established Topsham accredited person

I am expecting a AIP from Coventry BS this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Coventry BS recommend any Topsham solicitors on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Topsham solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Coventry BS through the process.

My offer was accepted on an apartment in Topsham on 2/10/2024, valuation was booked 3 days later, all came back fine. Conveyancer instructed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Santander and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?

A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Santander to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Santander conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

How easy is it to change firm as I need to retain a firm on the Skipton Building Society conveyancing list. I had appointed a family conveyancing solicitor in Topsham five minutes from me but she is not accepted by Skipton Building Society

It would be our pleasure to assist you select a conveyancing solicitor in Topsham on the Skipton Building Society panel. Please note that the law firms that we list do not pay us commission if you instruct them and are registered with the SRA who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Topsham. In making use of the find a conveyancing solicitor tool on this site, you can compare charges for conveyancing solicitors in Topsham and throughout England and Wales.

I am using a search engine for the words cheap conveyancing in Topsham it shows results of many conveyancersin the area. How do I determine which is the right conveyancing solicitor for my move?

The preferential way of finding a suitable conveyancer is via personal testimonial, so enquire of friends and those you trust who have bought a property in Topsham or the local estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Topsham differ, so it's sensible to request at least four quotes from varying types of solicitors. Dont forget to clarify that the fees are fixed.

I work for a long established estate agent office in Topsham where we see a few leasehold sales jeopardised due to short leases. I have received contradictory information from local Topsham conveyancing solicitors. Please can you confirm whether the vendor of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the buyer?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer need not have to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

An alternative approach is to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

I am the registered owner of a 1st floor flat in Topsham, conveyancing formalities finalised 10 years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Equivalent flats in Topsham with over 90 years remaining are worth £171,000. The ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease expires on 21st October 2103

With 79 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £8,600 and £9,800 plus professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.