My previous conveyancer has given a fee estimate £1400 for leasehold conveyancing in Wednesbury. I am selling a Victorian property for £175,000. Is this too much? Is it above the average fee for conveyancing in Wednesbury?

The costs illustration is slightly on the expensive side. Where you are willing to expend time contrasting quotes you might get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by say £100 plus VAT. On the other hand, you couldlive to regret choosing an an untested solicitor. Remember to enquire that the firm can act for your mortgage company. Do utilise our search tool to select a Wednesbury conveyancing practice on the banks approved list of lawyers which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Wednesbury.

When it comes to lenders such as Clydesdale, do Wednesbury conveyancing practitioners have to pay a fee to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are unaware of any bank fees to register on their panel, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

is it true that all Wednesbury solicitor practices on the Nationwide conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Nationwide conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Many banks do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be governed by the CLC.

I had a mortgage agreed in principle with Principality. Wednesbury conveyancing practitioners have been appointed. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Principality?

Some lenders take longer than others. Have Principality conducted the valuation? Have you advised Principality as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Principality conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.

Should our solicitor be raising enquiries regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Wednesbury.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers dealing with homes in Wednesbury. There are those who acquire a house in Wednesbury, fully aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Solicitors are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a number of checks that can be initiated by the buyer or by their solicitors which should give them a better understanding of the risks in Wednesbury. The conventional set of information supplied to a purchaser’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a usual inquiry of the vendor to discover if the property has suffered from flooding. In the event that the residence has been flooded in past and is not notified by the vendor, then a purchaser could bring a compensation claim as a result of such an incorrect answer. The buyer’s lawyers may also order an enviro report. This should indicate if there is any known flood risk. If so, additional inquiries should be carried out.

There are only 72 years unexpired on my lease in Wednesbury. I now want to extend my lease but my freeholder is missing. What options are available to me?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to track down the lessor. For most situations an enquiry agent may be helpful to conduct investigations and to produce an expert document which can be used as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Wednesbury.

Wednesbury Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

What restrictions are there in the Wednesbury Lease? Many Wednesbury leasehold flats will incur a service charge for the upkeep of the building invoiced on behalf of the freeholder. Where you buy the flat you will have to pay this amount, usually in instalments accross the year. This may be anything from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common grounds. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, ordinarily this is not a large figure, say approximately £50-£100 but you should to enquire as sometimes it could be prohibitively expensive. Best to be warned whether fixing the lift or some other significant cost is anticipated that will be shared by the leasehold owners and will materially impact the level of the maintenance costs or necessitate a specific invoice.

Living abroad it is not practicable to travel my Wednesbury conveyancing lawyers office to sign documents for conveyancing in Wednesbury – will this be an issue?

Not a problem. Wednesbury conveyancing solicitors can conduct home moves for clients across the country. You are unlikely to be required to attend a Wednesbury conveyancers office. Almost all solicitor can undertake everything via phone, post and email - whatever works for you.