How up to date is your database of Chippenham solicitors on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel? Do Yorkshire BS send you an updated list?

Chippenham conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Yorkshire BS directly.

A relative advised me that if I am buying in Chippenham I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard Chippenham conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Chippenham around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Chippenham Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Chippenham Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information regarding Chippenham.

How does conveyancing in Chippenham differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Chippenham contact us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is built. This is because new home sellers in Chippenham tend to 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 Chippenham or who has acted in the same development.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Chippenham with the intention of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Chippenham can be avoided if you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should ensure that you hold the original share certificate. Obtaining a duplicate share certificate can be a lengthy formality and frustrates many a Chippenham conveyancing transaction. If a new share certificate is needed, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later. If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Chippenham leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord approving such alterations. Where you fail to have the approvals to hand do not communicate with the landlord without checking with your lawyer in the first instance. Many landlords or Management Companies in Chippenham charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold home. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management information can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Chippenham. If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a property where a dispute is unresolved. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as over as opposed to ongoing.

I am the registered owner of a garden flat in Chippenham, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2005. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Chippenham with over 90 years remaining are worth £181,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease terminates on 21st October 2076

With only 51 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £30,400 and £35,200 as well as costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

How easy is it to change a solicitor as I need to find a Chippenham based firm who is on the bank conveyancing panel. How simple is it to change conveyancer?

In the event that you have not formally instructed a solicitor to do anything for you and have just received an estimate as to costs, you're perfectly free to choose a different solicitor to carry out your work for you. The best way is to get recommendations from friends or family who have actually used the solicitor or conveyancer in Chippenham that you're thinking of instructing.