We were just about to exchange contracts for a ground floor flat in North Somerset. We encountered a problem. Our loan offer with Barclays Direct expires on 2/3/2026 but the owners are insisting on a completion date of 4/3/2026. Can one extend the mortgage expiry date?
The person best placed to deal with your issue is your lawyer who will hopefully calculate if they corresponding with the bank, vendor’s solicitors, estate agents or possibly all three taking into account the history of your transaction as of today.
As I am unsure how the conveyancing process works what is the most important advice you can give me concerning purchase conveyancing in North Somerset?
You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in North Somerset or throughout England and Wales is often a confrontational experience. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of room for confrontation between you and other parties involved in the ownership transfer. For instance, the seller, selling agent and sometimes a bank. Selecting a law firm for your conveyancing in North Somerset an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE party in the legal process whose interest is to act in your best interests and to keep you safe.
We are witnessing a distinct ongoing adversarial element to conveyancing- someone has to be blamed for the process being so protracted. We recommend that you should always trust your lawyer ahead of all other parties when it comes to the legal transfer of property.
Should our lawyer be raising enquiries about flooding during the conveyancing in North Somerset.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors dealing with homes in North Somerset. Some people will purchase a house in North Somerset, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or sell the property. Steps can be carried out during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.
Lawyers are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous searches that can be carried out by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which can give them a better understanding of the risks in North Somerset. The standard completed inquiry forms supplied to a buyer’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a standard inquiry of the vendor to determine whether the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred and is not revealed by the vendor, then a purchaser may bring a legal claim for losses stemming from an inaccurate answer. The buyer’s lawyers will also order an environmental report. This will indicate whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries should be made.
How simple is it to use your search facility to find a conveyancing solicitor in North Somerset on the panel for my bank?
Step one is to choose a lender such as Yorkshire Building Society, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society or Barclays Direct then specify your preferred area a common one being North Somerset. Conveyancing practices in North Somerset and across England and Wales should be shown.
All being well we will complete our sale of a £325,000 maisonette in North Somerset in just under a week. The managing agents has quoted £384 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in North Somerset?
North Somerset conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes more often than not involves the purchaser’s conveyancer sending questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to respond to these enquiries most will be willing to do so. They are entitled to levy a reasonable charge for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it is in excess of £800. The administration charge demanded by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that you have little choice but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to complete the sale of your home.
North Somerset Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries before Purchasing
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Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge liability? What is the annual maintenance fee and ground rent? Best to be warned whether changing the roof or some other significant cost is due shortly that will be shared by the leasehold owners and will dramatically increase the the maintenance costs or necessitate a one time payment.
We are in the process of a leasehold sale of a flat in North Somerset. Conveyancing is fine but we have been asked to pay an extortionate amount by the landlord. So far we have forked out £225 for a leasehold management pack and then another £118 for answers to questions supplied by the buyers solicitor.
Neither you or your lawyer will have any control over the extent of the charges for this information however the typical costs for the information for North Somerset leasehold property is £360. For North Somerset conveyancing sales it is usual for the seller to cover the charges. The landlord or their agents are under no statutory obligation to answer such questions although many will agree to do so - albeit often at high prices disproportionate to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no statute that requires fixed fees for administrative tasks. Neither is there any set time limit by which they are required to provide the information.