The sellers of the home we are hoping to buy have appointed a conveyancing firm in Audlem who has insisted on a preliminary agreement with a non-refundable deposit 10k. Are such agreements generally advanced for Audlem conveyancing transactions?

This kind of contract is unusual in Audlem, conveyancers will often try and steer clients away from them as they detract from focusing on the main conveyancing focus and if you end up losing your deposit then the solicitor at best left with an upset client and at worst a litigious one. In addition, there is no guarantee that just because the proprietor has entered into a lock out agreement they will sell to you. They may be inclined to break the contract if they receive a big enough incentive to do so because an aggrieved claimant with the benefit of a exclusivitycontract will still be obliged show losses as a consequence of the breach and this may not compare to the extra amount that the owner may gain by reneging on the contract, however morally condemnable that may be.

Finally the sale completed on my house in Audlem last November but our buyer keeps e-mailing every few hours complaining that his lawyer is waiting to hear from mine. What are the post completion sale formalities following completion?

After completion of your house sale your lawyer should deliver the transfer deeds and all additional paperwork to the buyer’s lawyers. Where relevant, your conveyancer should also confirm that the mortgage has been paid off to the purchasers solicitors. There are no post completion procedures specific conveyancing in Audlem.

My wife and I are purchasing a house in Audlem. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a conveyancer? On completion day we will need to send funds into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our deposit?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

My wife and I purchasing a terrace house in Audlem. We would like to carry out a loft conversion at the house.Will legal work on the property include checks to determine if these works are prohibited?

Your property lawyer should check the registered title as conveyancing in Audlem will sometimes identify restrictions in the title deeds which prohibit categories of changes or necessitated the permission of a 3rd party. Many works require local authority planning permissions and approval in compliance with building regulations. Certain areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. It would be sensible to check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Audlem. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Nottingham have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that your lender is Nottingham your lawyer must follow the formal instructions set out in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Nottingham. The CML Handbook contains minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Nottingham where a lease fails to comply with these specifications. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not limited to Audlem.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what was supposed to be a quick, no chain conveyancing. Audlem is where the house is located. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Audlem are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Audlem you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Audlem 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 residence.

I've found a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Audlem. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Audlem are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Audlem so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Audlem conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the landlord’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor should appraise you on the various issues.

Audlem Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

Can you tell me if there are any major works anticipated that will likely add a premium to the maintenance charges? Where a Audlem lease has no more than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the property. It is worth checking with your mortgage company that they are happy with the length of the lease. A short lease means that you will most likely need a lease extension at some point and it is worth discovering what this will be. Remember, in most cases you will need to own the residence for two years in order to be legally able to carry out a lease extension.