We were just about to sign contracts for a semi detached house in Brentwood. We encountered a stumbling block. Our mortgage offer with Skipton Building Society expires on 1/6/2026 but the owners are insisting on a completion date of 3/6/2026. Can one prolong the loan expiry date?
The person best placed to deal with your issue is your lawyer who will calculate whether they better off negotiating with the lender, seller’s conveyancers, property agents or indeed all three based on what has gone on in your transaction to date.
Will lawyers ask for money on account when it comes to conveyancing in Brentwood?
If you are buying a property in Brentwood your solicitor will ask you to provide them with funds to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. This will be the total of the cost of the Local Authority Search. When the down payment is as part of the total price then this should be asked for shortly ahead of contracts are exchanged. The final balance that is due should be sent to your lawyer a couple of days prior to the completion date.
I am helping my step-mother sell her flat in Brentwood. Will the solicitor arrange an EPC or it is for the seller to see to?
After the abolition of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates was left as a required component of moving property. An EPC needs to be commissioned prior to the property being put on the market. This is not a task that law firms normally organise. If you are instructing a Brentwood conveyancing lawyer they may be willing to arrange energy assessments due to their relationships with reputable Brentwood assessors
My wife and I buying a terrace house in Brentwood. Our aim is to carry out an extension to the side at the property.Will the conveyancing process include investigations to determine if these alterations are permitted?
Your property lawyer will review the registered title as conveyancing in Brentwood can on occasion reveal restrictions in the title deeds which prevent categories of alterations or necessitated the permission of a 3rd party. Certain works need local authority planning permissions and approval in compliance with building regulations. Certain areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. It would be sensible to check these issues with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.
How can we tell if a Brentwood conveyancing solicitor on the Barclays panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Brentwood obtaining recommendations is a good starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always suggest that you speak with the solicitor carrying out your conveyancing.
Should our solicitor be raising enquiries concerning flooding during the conveyancing in Brentwood.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Brentwood. Plenty of people will buy a property in Brentwood, completely aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.
Solicitors are not best placed to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a number of searches that may be carried out by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which can give them a better appreciation of the risks in Brentwood. The conventional set of information sent to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a standard inquiry of the seller to find out whether the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred and is not disclosed by the owner, then a purchaser could commence a claim for damages stemming from an inaccurate reply. A buyer’s conveyancers will also conduct an enviro search. This will indicate whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further inquiries will need to be initiated.
Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Brentwood conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?
If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Brentwood conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Brentwood conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be helpful:
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What volume of lease extensions has the firm completed in Brentwood in the last twenty four months? What are the charges for lease extension conveyancing?
I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without any joy. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on such issues? Can you recommend a Brentwood conveyancing firm to help?
Where there is a missing landlord or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to arrive at the sum to be paid.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Brentwood property is 37 Lodge Court High Street in November 2013. the decision of the LVT was that the premium to be paid for the new lease was £25,559 This case related to 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 57.5 years.
What do I do if I am dissatisfied with the conveyancer who carried out our conveyancing in Brentwood?
Occasionally the level of service you receive is not as you expect, and unfortunately every so often things do go wrong. That being said there is recourse where you were dissatisfied with your conveyancing in Brentwood. This varies from trying to resolve matters directly with them, through to reporting a conveyancing practitioner to their governing body. If you remain unhappy you may consider enlisting the help of the Legal Ombudsman.