We see that you have a search directory listing law firms on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a commission if I appoint them for our own conveyancing in Winchester?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Co-operative conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Winchester.
We're in Winchester, FTBs buying with a mortgage (lender is Principality , and our solicitor is on the Principality conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the Principality conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no conveyancing practitioner should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.
Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Winchester ahead of instructing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the property. My surveyor advised that some banks tend refuse to give a mortgage on a flying freehold premises.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can check with the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Winchester. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Winchester especially if they regularly deal with such properties in Winchester.
Given that I will soon spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a terraced house in Winchester I would like to talk to a lawyer about mytransaction before giving the go ahead to the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?
We could not agree more - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you first talking to the solicitor due to be conducting your conveyancing in Winchester.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is an important individual, not a matter number. The law firms that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are calculated and presented to you for residential conveyancing in Winchester should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.
My husband and I are 17 days into a leasehold purchase having been referred to conveyancers by the local agent to do our conveyancing in Winchester. I am not happy. Can you help me find new conveyancers?
They would have to be very poor in order to consider changing them. Has your mortgage offer been issued? In the event that it has you need to make them aware of the new lawyer and get the mortgage documents are re-issued. Your new conveyancer should be on the lenders approved list to avoid added charges and delays. So that should be your starting point. Our search tool can assist you in finding a bank approved lawyer for your home move in Winchester
Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Winchester from the point of view of expediting the sale process?
- Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Winchester can be bypassed where you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers’ conveyancers. If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as over rather than unresolved. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Winchester state that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Should you fail to have the paperwork to hand do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your conveyancer before hand. You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but you should double-check via your lawyers. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is less than 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale. Some Winchester leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is 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 am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in Winchester, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable flats in Winchester with over 90 years remaining are worth £191,000. The ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease expires on 21st October 2079
With 54 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £32,300 and £37,400 plus professional fees.
The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.