I am need of leasehold conveyancing for a flat in a relatively new development (five years old) in Bedfordshire. Almost all the appartments are already occupied. Do I need carry out the local searches for my conveyancing in Bedfordshire?
You would be taking a significant risk in failing carrying out Bedfordshire conveyancing searches. Without searches you have no clarity over flooding, environmental etc which may mean you walk away due to potential problems down the line. If you are buying without a mortgage there is no legal necessity to have them, but we would strongly advise in the strongest possible terms that you have them. If speed and expenses are top of your issues you should discuss with your conveyancer about the options such as indemnity insurance available to you
I am purchasing a terraced house in Bedfordshire. Conveyancing solicitors are said to be ‘a necessary evil’ but can I do it myself?
Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Bedfordshire you will have to appoint a solicitor on your bank'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 Bedfordshire.
I just acquired a property at auction in Bedfordshire. Conveyancing is required. What are my next steps?
Now that you are exchanged you should hire the services of a conveyancing solicitor quickly as you are facing a fast approaching deadline in which to complete the property. An auction property will have a corresponding legal set of papers. This will likely include evidence of title and search results. In the case of leasehold property the conveyancing pack should include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing paperwork specific to a leasehold property. You must pass this on to the solicitor working for you ASAP. Do make sure that your finances are in place to complete the transaction on the set completion date.
My father informed me that in buying a property in Bedfordshire there may be a number of restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external alterations to a property. Is this right?
There are a number of properties in Bedfordshire which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external changes. Part of the conveyancing in Bedfordshire should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
After weeks of negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Bedfordshire. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers. I paid an on account payment of £175. A few days later, the conveyancing practitioner contacted me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Kent Reliance 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 Kent Reliance 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.
I am selling our property in Bedfordshire and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was constructed on contaminated land. Any local conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers used a web based conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Bedfordshire. We have lived in Bedfordshire for 5 years we know of no issue. Do we contact our local Authority to obtain confirmation that there is no issue.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer already. Are they able to advise? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)
I'm buying a new build house in Bedfordshire with the aid of help to buy. The builders would not reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The sale representative advised me not inform my conveyancer about this deal as it could jeopardize my loan with the lender. Should I keep quiet?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and found one round the corner in Bedfordshire I like with amenity areas and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 61 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Bedfordshire in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?
If you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.