I purchased a freehold property in Wokingham yet charged rent, why is this and what is this?
It is rare for properties in Wokingham and has limited impact for conveyancing in Wokingham but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.
Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of fresh rentcharges post 1977.
Previous rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.
My wife and I are buying a apartment in Wokingham. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a lawyer? At some point we will need to send our life savings into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our monies?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
I am purchasing a terrace house in Wokingham. We would like to convert the garage to a playroom at the property.Will the conveyancing process involve investigations to determine if these works are permitted?
Your conveyancer should review the deeds as conveyancing in Wokingham can occasionally identify restrictions in the title documents which prevent categories of alterations or require the consent of a 3rd party. Certain additions need local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Certain areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or affect extensions. It would be wise to check these things with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.
After weeks of negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Wokingham. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers. I paid an upfront payment of £150. Shortly after, the property lawyer called me to say that they were not on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Nationwide panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
What can a local search tell me about the house my wife and I buying in Wokingham?
Wokingham conveyancing often commences with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search company for instance Onsearch The local search is essential in every Wokingham conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any unpleasant once you have moved into your new home. The search will supply data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the property (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 subject sections.
I was pointed in your direction by numerous selling agents in Wokingham to locate a property lawyer using your seach tool. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to offer your lawyers over and above another?
We don’t offer any financial incentive for sending work our way. We thought it would be too underhand a fee because a client could think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.
In scouring the web for the term cheap conveyancing in Wokingham it shows results of numerous property lawyersin the area. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right solicitor for me?
The ideal method of finding a suitable conveyancer is through a trusted testimonial, so ask friends and relatives who have purchased a property in Wokingham or a respected estate agent or financial adviser. Charges for conveyancing in Wokingham differ, so it's sensible to obtain a minimum of four fee calculations from different conveyancers. Dont forget to clarify that the charges are guaranteed not to to be inflated.
What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Wokingham conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?
When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Wokingham conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Wokingham conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be useful:
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How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?
Wokingham Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries before buying
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Please note that where the lease has no more than eighty years it will impact the value of the apartment. It is worth checking with your mortgage company that they are happy with the length of the lease. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will almost definitely have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you will be be obliged to have been the owner of the premises for two years before you are legally able to carry out a lease extension. The prefered form of lease arrangement is where the freehold reversion is owned by the leaseholders. In this arrangement the tenants have being in charge if their destiny and even though a managing agent is usually retained if it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent employed by the leaseholders. In the main the outlay for major works tend not to be incorporated into the maintenance charges, albeit that there some managing agents in Wokingham require leaseholders to contribute towards a sinking fund and this is used to offset against larger repairs or maintenance.