As someone unfamiliar with the Burnham conveyancing process what is the number one tip you can impart for the legal transfer of property in Burnham

Not many law firms shout this from the rooftops but conveyancing in Burnham and elsewhere in England and Wales is often a confrontational process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is plenty of room for confrontation between you and other parties involved in the ownership transfer. For example, the seller, selling agent and sometimes a mortgage company. Appointing a law firm for your conveyancing in Burnham is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE person in the process whose interest is to protect your legal interests and to protect you.

There is a distinct ongoing adversarial element to conveyancing- someone has to be at fault for the process taking so long. We recommend that you your first instinct should be to trust your lawyer ahead of all other parties in the home moving process.

I am buying a property in Burnham. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender UBS be concerned?

As you are obtaining a mortgage with UBS your lawyer must check the conveyancing instructions contained in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for UBS. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to UBS where a lease fails to comply with these conditions. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not limited to Burnham.

We expect to receive a AIP from Skipton this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Skipton recommend any Burnham solicitors on the Skipton conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Burnham solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Skipton conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Skipton through the process.

I've digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Burnham solicitor - who is on the Santander conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?

Santander will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Santander will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Burnham surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

I require expedited conveyancing in Burnham as I am under pressure to sign on the dotted line inside 2 weeks. Thankfully I do not require a mortgage. Can I avoid the conveyancing searches to save fees and time?

As you are are a cash buyer you have the choice not to do searches although no solicitor would recommend that you don't. With plenty of history conveyancing in Burnham the following are instances of issues that can arise and therefore impact future mortgageability: Refused Planning Applications, Overdue Fees, Overdue Grants, Road Schemes,...

Is it possible to switch conveyancer as I have to select a firm on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing panel. I had appointed a local conveyancing solicitor in Burnham five minutes from me but he is not accepted by Birmingham Midshires

We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in Burnham on the Birmingham Midshires panel. Please note that the solicitors that we list do not pay us fee if you instruct them and are under regulation of the SRA who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Burnham. In making use of search facility on this site, you can compare costs for conveyancing solicitors in Burnham and beyond.

Frank (my husband) and I may need to rent out our Burnham basement flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We instructed a Burnham conveyancing practice in 2001 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time seek any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Some leases for properties in Burnham do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience suggests that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Burnham - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

The majority of Burnham leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service bill for the upkeep of the block invoiced by the management company. If you acquire the apartment you will have to pay this contribution, usually quarterly throughout the year. This can be anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common areas. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, normally this is not a significant sum, say approximately £50-£100 but you should to check it because on occasion it could be surprisingly expensive. Are there any major works on the horizon that will likely increase the service costs? What is the the remaining lease term?