My previous solicitor has sent a quote for £995 for no sale no fee conveyancing in Leatherhead. I’m hoping to downsize from a Edwardian property for £150,000. This appears over the top. Is it in excess of the average fee for conveyancing in Leatherhead?
The costs illustration is fractionally on the steep side. If you are content to invest time scrutinising charges you could reduce the fees marginally by as much as a hundred pounds. On the other hand, you couldlive to regret opting for an a cheaper lawyer. Don't forget to check the conveyancer can represent your lender. Do use our comparison tool to select a Leatherhead conveyancing company on the banks member panel which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Leatherhead.
What is the first thing I need to know regarding purchase conveyancing in Leatherhead?
You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Leatherhead and elsewhere in Surrey is an adversarial process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is an abundance of room for conflict between you and other parties involved in the transaction. For example, the vendor, property agent and on occasion the bank. Appointing a solicitor for your conveyancing in Leatherhead is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE person in the transaction whose role it is to act in your legal interests and to keep you safe.
On occasion a potential adversary may try and sway you that you should follow their advice. As an example, the estate agent may claim to be assisting by suggesting your lawyer is slow. Or your financial adviser may try to convince you to do something that is contrary to your conveyancers advice. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the conveyancing process.
I am helping my step-mother sell her house in Leatherhead. Will the solicitor order the energy assessment or do I organise this?
Following the demise of HIPs, energy assessments was maintained a required part of moving property. An EPC must be commissioned before the property is advertised. This is not as aspect of the sale process that law firms ordinarily arrange. Where you are using a Leatherhead conveyancing solicitor they may help arrange EPC’s given their contacts with long established local assessors
Is it the case that all Leatherhead solicitor practices on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel are regulated by the SRA?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Some lenders do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be governed by the CLC.
I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Leatherhead. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their lawyer. I paid an advanced payment of £225. Not long after, the lawyer contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Leeds Building Society 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 Leeds Building Society 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.
How does conveyancing in Leatherhead differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Leatherhead contact us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is constructed. This is because new home sellers in Leatherhead typically acquire the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Leatherhead or who has acted in the same development.
Taking into account that I am about to part with £400,000 on a house in Leatherhead I wish to have a conversation with the conveyancer about mytransaction before instructing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?
Absolutely - we would be delighted to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the lawyer who will be carrying out your property ownership legalities in Leatherhead.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is an important person, not a matter reference. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are calculated and presented to you for residential conveyancing in Leatherhead should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.
What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Leatherhead conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?
When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Leatherhead conveyancing firm) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you speak with two or three firms including non Leatherhead conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be of use:
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How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation? Can they put you in touch with clients in Leatherhead who can give a testimonial?
I purchased a 1st floor flat in Leatherhead, conveyancing having been completed July 2008. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Leatherhead with over 90 years remaining are worth £176,000. The ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease ends on 21st October 2075
With just 50 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £31,400 and £36,200 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.