When can the exchange of contracts occur in residential conveyancing in Chislehurst and am I required to be at the conveyancers office?
Where you are local to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Chislehurst you are invited in to sign the paperwork. That being said, the law practices we recommend provide a countrywide conveyancing service and give as equally detailed and professional a job for you when dealing with you electronically. The signing of the property agreement is not the critical part. A signed contract simply enables the firm to address the formalities at the appropriate time, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The exchange process is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where an extended "chain" is in the mix, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Chislehurst)to be in the office at the appropriate time.
We are purchasing a detached bungalow in Chislehurst. The intention is to convert the garage to a playroom at the property.Will legal investigations on the property involve checks to see if these works are prohibited?
Your conveyancer should check the registered title as conveyancing in Chislehurst will on occasion reveal restrictions in the title documents which prohibit certain alterations or require the permission of another owner. Certain additions call for local authority planning permissions and approval in accordance building regulations. Some locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. It would be wise to check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
Is it the case that all Chislehurst CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Coventry BS conveyancing list of approved solicitors?
It is true that some banks and building societies now use CQS as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to remain on their approved list of firms.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Chislehurst off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Barclays. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Barclays, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Barclays conveyancing panel.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Chislehurst?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Chislehurst. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and found one round the corner in Chislehurst I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 52 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Chislehurst suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?
If you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.
I am attracted to a two apartments in Chislehurst both have about forty five years unexpired on the leases. Will this present a problem?
There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Chislehurst is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it reduces the value of the premises. The majority of buyers and lenders, leases with under 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Chislehurst conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.
I have had difficulty in trying to purchase the freehold in Chislehurst. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?
Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Chislehurst conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Chislehurst flat is 70 Andace Park Gardens 133-149 Widmore Road in November 2013. Tribunal determined that the premium payable for the lease extension was £10,052 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 72 years.
Me and mypartner and I are are looking to find a quality conveyancing solicitor in Chislehurst to purchase a apartment. I really don't want to get ripped off but with lots of Chislehurst conveyancing solicitors out there...who do I opt for?
The best tip when searching for a Chislehurst conveyancing practitioner is take recommendations from friends or other professionals that you trust. Almost everyone has used a conveyancing lawyer at some point. Do use our tool to compare Chislehurst conveyancing quotes