I am assisting my niece sell her property in Gatley. Does the conveyancer commission the energy assessment or do I organise this?
Following the abolition of HIPs, energy assessments remained a compulsory component of moving property. An energy performance certificate must be to hand in advance of the property being put on the market. It is not something that solicitors ordinarily organise. Where you are using a Gatley conveyancing solicitor they might help arrange EPC’s given their relationships with reputable local assessors
I am buying a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in Gatley. We would like to carry out an extension to the side at the property.Will legal conveyancing on the property involve investigations to ascertain if these works are prohibited?
Your solicitor should review the deeds as conveyancing in Gatley can on occasion reveal restrictions in the title deeds which prevent categories of works or necessitated the consent of another owner. Certain additions require local authority planning permissions and approval under the 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 things with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.
Is it correct that all Gatley CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing list of approved solicitors?
It is true that some lenders now use the accreditation scheme as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS membership however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to remain on their panels.
What can a local search tell me concerning the house we're buying in Gatley?
Gatley conveyancing often starts with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search company such as Xpress Legal The local search plays a central role in many a Gatley conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any nasty surprises after you move into your property. The search should supply data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen topic headings.
My wife and I purchased a semi-detached Edwardian property in Gatley. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Gatley and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also check the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a property I have offered on last month in what should have been a quick, no chain conveyancing. Gatley is where the house is located. Can you offer any guidance?
Flying freeholds in Gatley are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Gatley you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Gatley may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.
Should I instruct a Gatley conveyancing solicitor based in the area that I am buying? An old friend can deal with the conveyancing however his firm is located a couple of hundredkilometers away.
The primary upside of using a local Gatley conveyancing firm is that you can drop in to sign documents, deliver your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. Having local Gatley know how is a benefit. That being said it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If you know people who used your friend and the majority were content that must outweigh using an unknown Gatley conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being local.
Last May I purchased a leasehold property in Gatley. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?
Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
I own a garden flat in Gatley, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Equivalent flats in Gatley with over 90 years remaining are worth £202,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2080
You have 56 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £29,500 and £34,000 plus professional fees.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.