I am buying a new build flat in Slough. How practical is it for me to do the conveyancing?
Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Slough you will have to appoint a solicitor on your lender's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Slough.
I am assisting my aunt sell her property in Slough. Does the conveyancing solicitor arrange an energy assessment or should I organise this?
Following the demise of Home Packs, EPC’s was maintained a compulsory part of selling a house. An energy assessment must be commissioned before the property is marketed. This is not as aspect of the sale process that lawyers ordinarily arrange. If you are using a Slough conveyancing solicitor they might help arrange energy performance certificates due to their relationships with long established local providers
When it comes to mortgage companies such as Clydesdale, do Slough property lawyers face a yearly amount to be on the conveyancing panel?
We are unaware of any lender fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
It is unclear whether my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called into my local Slough building society branch on a couple of occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they will lend. My Slough conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- called to say that they refuse to lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?
Provided that the property lawyer is on the lender panel, they must follow the CML Handbook conditions for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.
Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal proposed roadworks that may affect a commercial property in Slough?
Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Slough will order a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers invest in investigating accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Slough. The report sets out definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Slough.
For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Slough it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately may cause delays to Slough commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not carried out for residential conveyancing in Slough.
I used Wolstenholmes a few years ago for my conveyancing in Slough. Now, I need the documents however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Slough of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
How does conveyancing in Slough differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Slough contact us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is completed. This is because builders in Slough usually buy the land, 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Slough or who has acted in the same development.
I am attracted to a couple of maisonettes in Slough which have in the region of fifty years unexpired on the leases. should I be concerned?
There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Slough is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the value of the property. The majority of purchasers and mortgage companies, leases with less than eighty 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 premises 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 Slough conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend 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 the agreed 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.
Slough Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries Prior to buying
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What is the maintenance charge and ground rent on the flat? The answer will be important as a) areas could cause problems for the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate if maintenance remain unpaid b) if the tenants have a dispute with the running of the building you will want to know about it How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments?