I am purchasing a maisonette in Andover. My Solicitor has never been on on the bank conveyancing panel. Am I still permitted to retain my Andover conveyancing solicitor even though they are not on the bank approved list?

You have a number of alternatives available to you here

• Proceed with your chosen Andover property lawyer but your lender will undoubtedly appoint a conveyancer on their conveyancing panel. The net result is additional cost and likely frustration.
• Choose a fresh conveyancer to act in the purchase, obviously checking they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
• Appeal to your conveyancer to apply to join the lender panel

Why is leasehold purchase conveyancing in Andover is more expensive?

The conveyancing costs on a leasehold premises in Andover is often higher when contrasted to a freehold transaction. This is due to the extra work necessary in communicating with the landlord and managing agents to collate the evidence about whether the rent and service charges have been discharged and whether there are any significant expenditure in the near future on repairs or maintenance of the building.

My friend advised me that if I am buying in Andover I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard Andover conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing important information about Andover around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Andover.

About to purchase a new build apartment in Andover. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.

Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Andover

Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Please supply a car parking plan. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Andover. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Andover Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

The best form of lease structure is if the freehold reversion is owned by the leaseholders. In this arrangement the tenants have control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is usually employed where the building is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. What restrictions are there in the Andover Lease? This question is useful as a) areas could cause problems in the building as the communal areas may start to deteriorate if services remain unpaid b) if the tenants have a dispute with the managing agents you will want to have full disclosure