I am planning to acquire a house and need a conveyancing solicitor in Harefield who is on the Coventry Building Society conveyancing. Can you recommend a local conveyancing firm?
Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Coventry Building Society in certain locations such as Harefield. We dont recommend any particular firm.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Harefield?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Harefield. 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…’
How does conveyancing in Harefield differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Harefield come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is constructed. This is because builders in Harefield usually purchase the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Harefield or who has acted in the same development.
I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and found one near me in Harefield I like with a park and station nearby, however it's only got 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Harefield in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?
Should you need a mortgage that many years may be an issue. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you can request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.
How straightforward is it to use the search facility to find a conveyancing practitioner in Harefield on the authorised to act for my lender?
Step one is to choose a lender such as Barclays , Bank of Scotland or Godiva Mortgages Ltd then choose your preferred area for example Harefield. Conveyancing organisations in Harefield and across England and Wales should be shown.
Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Harefield from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?
- Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Harefield can be reduced if you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers’ conveyancers. If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is a current dispute. You may have to bite the bullet 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 details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over as opposed to unsettled. You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to double-check by asking your solicitors. A purchaser's lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is under 75 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale. Many landlords or Management Companies in Harefield levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack sought on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Harefield.
I inherited a first floor flat in Harefield. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the amount due for the purchase of the freehold?
Where there is a absentee landlord or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant legislation it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to make a decision on the sum to be paid.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Harefield property is Flats 8, 11 and 15 Craigmore Court 46 Murray Road in December 2013. The tribunal held that the price payable by the Applicant tenant of Flat 8 to acquire an extended lease shall be £26,438 plus £1 to the intermediate lessee . The tribunal held that the price payable by the Applicant tenants of Flat 11 to acquire an extended lease shall be £26,791 plus £1 to the intermediate lessee. The tribunal held that the price payable by the Applicant tenant of Flat 15 to acquire an extended lease shall be £26,638 plus £1 to the intermediate lessee . This case was in relation to 3 flats. The remaining number of years on the lease was 71 years.