It has come to my attention via my mortgage adviser that my Keston the law firm I have appointed is not on the mortgage company Conveyancing panel. What can I do to be certain whether this is indeed the case?
The sensible course of action for you to take is to contact your Keston conveyancer. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to inform you of the situation. Where they are not on the panel they may be able to suggest a Keston conveyancing practice that is on the approved list of lawyers for your mortgage company.
I am planning to acquire a property and need a conveyancing solicitor in Keston who is on the Barnsley Building Society solicitor. Can you recommend a local solicitor?
Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Barnsley Building Society in certain locations such as Keston. We dont recommend any particular firm.
I have a 4 bedroom Georgian property in Keston. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Platform Home Loans Ltd. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the matching address. Is it worth asking Platform Home Loans Ltd to clarify?
You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be 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 Keston and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also check the position with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one near me in Keston I like with open areas and station nearby, the downside is that it's only got 61 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Keston in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?
If you require a home loan that many years will be an issue. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities 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 lawyer regarding this.
I today plan to offer on a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have just been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Keston. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Keston ?
The majority of houses in Keston are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Keston so you should seriously consider looking for a Keston conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the freeholder’sconsent to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your solicitor will report to you on the legal implications.
I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without success. Can I apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Keston conveyancing firm to act on my behalf?
if there is a absentee landlord or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to decide the amount due.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Keston property is 1 Southlands Court Southlands Road in September 2013. The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal determined that the premium to be paid by the tenant on the grant of a new lease, in accordance with section 56 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 was £30,541 This case affected 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 50.57 years.
I am just shy of a 10% deposit on my flat purchase in Keston , but I am anxious proceed. Do I have options?
One option is to try and accept a lower deposit. Many property owners will agree to a lower deposit or even no deposit for a first time buyer or 100% mortgage. Be aware though that if you fail to complete you will still need to hand over a minimum of 10% of the purchase price regardless of how much deposit was agreed.
You can also agree a simultaneous exchange and completion as no deposit is required for this however neither party will be tied in until completion actually takes place and it can be risky if sellers change their mind at the last moment