At what point can the exchange of contracts occur in purchase conveyancing in Wilton and am I required to attend the conveyancers branch?

Where you are in close proximity to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Wilton you are invited in to sign documents. However, the law practices we recommend provide countrywide coverage for conveyancing and provide just as detailed and professional a job for you when communicating with you by post or email. The signing of the contract is not the important part. Signing on the dotted line is just a prerequisite for the conveyancer to address the formalities when the time is right, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The procedure is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a long "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Wilton)to be in the office at the appropriate time.

I'm buying my first flat in Wilton with a loan from Chelsea Building Society. The builders would not budge the price so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The house builders rep advised me not reveal to my lawyer about this side-deal as it could jeopardize my mortgage with Chelsea Building Society. Is this normal?.

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.

Do I need to be suspicious by 3rd parties that I am dealing with are recommending a factory type conveyancing firm rather than a local Wilton conveyancing practice?

As with many service providers, often recommendations from connections can be extremely useful or valuable. Yet there are many players in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, mortgage brokers and mortgage companies may suggest lawyers to select. Sometimes these solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but occasionally there might be a commercial relationship behind the endorsement. You are at liberty to select your own lawyer. Don't forget that most lenders specify a panel list of conveyancers you have to use for the mortgage aspect of your transaction.

I am using a search engine for the term conveyancing in Wilton it shows results of numerous solicitorsin the area. With so much choice what is the best way to find the suitable property lawyer for me?

The best method of seeking the right conveyancer is via personal referral, so seek the opinion of colleagues and relatives who have acquired a property in Wilton or the local estate agent or financial adviser. Charges for conveyancing in Wilton vary, so it's sensible to obtain a minimum of three quotes from different conveyancers. Be sure to obtain confirmation that the fees are fixed.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Wilton from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Wilton can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
A minority of Wilton leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers. You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable verify this via your lawyers. A buyer’s conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the remaining number of years is less than 80 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage that you identify whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale. If you have had any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as over as opposed to unresolved. If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a replacement share certificate can be a lengthy formality and slows down many a Wilton home move. Where a new share is required, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

I invested in buying a ground floor flat in Wilton, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable properties in Wilton with an extended lease are worth £181,000. The ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease ends on 21st October 2076

With 51 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £30,400 and £35,200 as well as costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.