Me and my partner are purchasing a flat in Bournville. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a conveyancer? At some point we will need to send money into their account. What protection do 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.

There are numerous conveyancing solicitors in Bournville but how do I know who's good?

Do not opt for the cheapest Bournville conveyancing quote. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of the deal.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Principality. I assume I don't need a Bournville property lawyer on the Principality panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Principality mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Principality mortgage from the register. Principality, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Principality has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Principality has instructed the Land Registry to do so

How does conveyancing in Bournville differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Bournville contact us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is completed. This is because builders in Bournville usually buy the real estate, 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 Bournville or who has acted in the same development.

I opted to have a survey done on a house in Bournville prior to retaining lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. The surveyor advised that some banks tend refuse to issue a loan on a flying freehold property.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to call us we can look into this further with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Bournville. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

My husband and I are novice buyers - had an offer accepted, yet the property agent told us that the seller will only issue a contract if we appoint the agent's recommended lawyers as they are insisting on an ‘expedited deal’. We would rather use a local conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Bournville

It is highly unlikely the sellers are behind this. If they require ‘a quick sale', turning down a genuine buyer is counter productive. Contact the owners directly and explain that (a)you are serious purchasers (b)you are ready to progress, with finances in place © you are unencumbered (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you will continue to appoint your preferred Bournville conveyancing firm - not the ones that will provide their estate agent a kickback or hit his conveyancing figures set by corporate headquarters.

I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Bournville. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Bournville - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Bournville Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

Who is in charge of the block? How much is the ground rent and service charge? Are there any major works on the horizon that could add a premium to the service charges?