Can the conveyancing lawyers that you recommend handle right to buy conveyancing in St Albans?
We work with a variety of conveyancing experts carrying out right to buy conveyancing work You should call us to get a costs illustration.
Me and my brother purchased a 4 bedroom Georgian property in St Albans. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Halifax. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You need to 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 St Albans 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 solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.
Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in St Albans before retaining solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the house. Our surveyor has said that some lenders tend not issue a mortgage on this type of property.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different instructions from Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can investigate further with the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in St Albans. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in St Albans to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.
Am I right to be concerned that estate agents that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use an internet conveyancing firm rather than a High Street St Albans conveyancing company?
As is the case with lots of service providers, often input from family and friends can be extremely useful or valuable. Nevertheless there are many players in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, mortgage brokers and lenders might all recommend solicitors to appoint. On occasion the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but sometimes there is an underlying commercial relationship behind the endorsement. You have the right to appoint your own lawyer. Don't forget that the majority of lenders specify a panel list of conveyancers you are obliged to use for the lender aspect of your house move.
In searching the web for the words on line conveyancing in St Albans it brings up numerous conveyancersin the area. With so much choice what is the best way to find the suitable solicitor for the sale of my house?
The ideal way of finding the right conveyancer is via personal referral, so enquire of colleagues and those you trust who have acquired a property in St Albans or the local estate agent or financial adviser. Charges for conveyancing in St Albans vary, so it's advisable to request a minimum of four costs illustrations from different companies. Be sure to seek confirmation that the fees are fixed.
I am attracted to a two apartments in St Albans which have about fifty years unexpired on the leases. should I be concerned?
There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in St Albans is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The nearer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it reduces the value of the property. The majority of purchasers and banks, 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 a residence 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 St Albans 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. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. 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.
Leasehold Conveyancing in St Albans - Sample of Questions you should consider before buying
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Who is in charge of the block? Make sure you find out if there are any onerous restrictions in the lease. For instance plenty of leases prohibit pets being permitted in in a block in St Albans. If you like the apartmentin St Albans but your dog can’t make the move with you then you will be presented with a difficult decision.