I am acquiring a house without a mortgage in Cawthorne. I have lived for the last Seventeen years in Cawthorne. Conveyancing searches are expensive. Given that I know the road and vicinity very well must I have all the conveyancing searches?

In the absence of a mortgage, then almost all of the Cawthorne conveyancing searches are optional. Your lawyer will ’encourage you, perhaps strongly, that you should have searches completed, but she is duty bound to take that path of guidance. One thing to consider; if you are likely to sell the house one day, it will be of importance to your prospective buyer what the searches disclose. There are plenty of instances where properties with functional issues can still throw up unexpected search results. A competent conveyancing solicitor in Cawthorne will be able to give you some practical guidance concerning this.

I have been told that property searches are the number one reason for hinderance in Cawthorne house deals. Is this right?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the top 10 causes of hindrances during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are not likely to be the root cause of delay in conveyancing in Cawthorne.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Cawthorne?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Cawthorne. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

How does conveyancing in Cawthorne differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build property in Cawthorne approach us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is completed. This is because developers in Cawthorne usually acquire the land, 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Cawthorne or who has acted in the same development.

What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Cawthorne conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Cawthorne conveyancing firm) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggest that you speak with several firms including non Cawthorne conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be of use:

If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?

Cawthorne Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

The prefered form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this situation the lessees enjoy being in charge if their destiny and although a managing agent is frequently employed where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. How much is the maintenance charge and ground rent on the property? It would be sensible to investigate if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For example it is reasonably common in Cawthorne leases that pets are not allowed in certain buildings in Cawthorne. If you like the propertyin Cawthorne however your dog can’t live with you then you will be faced difficult determination.