Can the conveyancing lawyers that you recommend execute conveyancing in Greenwich by way of an attended exchange?
There are a few conveyancing experts who can conduct one day exchanges. Please contact us to secure a fee calculation and details as to availability.
Will conveyancers ask for money on account for my conveyancing in Greenwich?
Where you are retaining lawyers for conveyancing in Greenwich your lawyer will request that you put them with funds to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. This will be the total of the cost of the conveyancing searches. If any down payment is as part of the purchase price then this will be needed immediately in advance of exchange of contracts. The final balance that is due will be payable shortly before completion.
There are plenty of conveyancing solicitors in Greenwich but how do I know who I should use?
It would be unwise to be tempted by the cheapest Greenwich conveyancing quote. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of the deal.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Greenwich. I have a mortgage agreed with Virgin Money. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Virgin Money, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.
After weeks of negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Greenwich. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their property lawyer. I paid an advanced payment of £150. A couple of days later, the lawyer called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the RBS 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 RBS 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'm purchasing my first flat in Greenwich benefiting from help to buy. The builders refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated 6k of additionals instead. The house builders rep suggested that I not to tell my solicitor about this side-deal as it would affect 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.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. Greenwich is where the house is located. Can you offer any assistance?
Flying freeholds in Greenwich are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Greenwich you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Greenwich may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.
Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Greenwich with the intention of expediting the sale process?
- Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Greenwich can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ lawyers. If there is a history of any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a property where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing. If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Greenwich leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such changes. Where you dont have the consents to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in advance. Some Greenwich leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
I have had difficulty in trying to reach an agreement for a lease extension in Greenwich. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?
Most certainly. We can put you in touch with a Greenwich conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Greenwich property is 73 Walerand Road in August 2012. the result of the findings of the Tribunal led to a premium to be paid for the extended lease in respect of Flat 73 in the sum of £10,040. The premium applicable in respect of Flat 85 was £5,710. This case was in relation to 2 flats. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 72 years.