I plan on purchasing a flat in West Croydon. My lawyer is not listed on the lender solicitor panel. Is it possible for me to use my West Croydon conveyancing solicitor even though they are excluded from the lender approved list?

Your options include

• Carry on with your chosen West Croydon conveyancer but your bank will need to use a property lawyer on their approved list. This will result in additional charges together with likely frustration.
• Appoint a new conveyancer to act in the purchase, making sure they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
• Convince your solicitor to apply to join the lender panel

The owners have very pushy sellers who has suggested a exclusivity agreement with a deposit of 5k. Are such agreements recommended for West Croydon conveyancing transactions?

Lock out contracts are contracts binding a property owner and purchaser giving the buyer the sole right to the sale of the property for a certain period of time. For all intents and purposes, a lock out is a document stating that you should be issued with a contract at a later time which is the main conveyancing contract. It tends to be utilised for buyer protection though in many situations, the vendor may stand to benefit from such agreements as well. There are numerous pros and cons to having an agreement but you should to check with your conveyancer but beware that it may result in incurring more in conveyancing fees. For this these contracts are not popular when it comes to conveyancing in West Croydon.

My colleague advised me that where I am buying in West Croydon I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is occasionally included in the estimate for your West Croydon conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing important information about West Croydon around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the West Croydon Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about West Croydon.

Just had an offer accepted on a new build apartment in West Croydon. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.

Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in West Croydon

The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided.

I've found a house that appears to be perfect, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in West Croydon. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in West Croydon ?

Most houses in West Croydon are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in West Croydon so you should seriously consider looking for a West Croydon conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the landlord’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will appraise you on the various issues.

My wife and I have hit a brick wall in seeking a lease extension in West Croydon. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

Most certainly. We are happy to put you in touch with a West Croydon conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a West Croydon residence is 29 Woodstock Road in April 2014. the Tribunal determined that the premiums to be paid into court in respect of the purchase of the freehold registered at HMLR under Title N0.SY3997 should be £7,217. This case was in relation to 4 flats. The unexpired term was 98 years.