My uncle pointed out to me me that in purchasing a property in Darwen there could be various restrictions preventing external alterations to a property. Is this right?

There are anumerous of properties in Darwen which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Darwen should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

I am buying a 3 bedroom semi in Darwen. We would like to an extension at the rear at the house.Will legal work on the property include checks to ascertain if these alterations are permitted?

Your solicitor should review the deeds as conveyancing in Darwen can on occasion reveal restrictions in the title documents which prevent certain works or require the permission of a 3rd party. Certain extensions call for local authority planning permissions and approval in compliance with building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. It would be prudent to check these things with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.

After months of negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Darwen. My financial adviser suggested a conveyancer. I paid an advanced payment of £175. A couple of days later, the property lawyer called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Nationwide panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and identified one near me in Darwen I like with open areas and station in the vicinity, however it only has 51 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Darwen in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will be an issue. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

Is it possible to change solicitor as I have to instruct one who is on the Barclays Direct conveyancing panel. I had appointed a family conveyancing solicitor in Darwen five minutes from me but she is not accepted by Barclays Direct

It would be our pleasure to help you find a conveyancing solicitor in Darwen on the Barclays Direct panel. Please note that the law firms that we work with do not pay us fee if you instruct them and are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who regulate all conveyancing solicitors in Darwen. In making use of the find a conveyancing solicitor tool on this website, you can contrast charges for conveyancing solicitors in Darwen and throughout England and Wales.

Is it best to appoint a Darwen conveyancing lawyer based in the location that I am purchasing? I have an old university friend who can handle the legal work however her office is 300miles away.

The primary upside of using a high street Darwen conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to execute paperwork, deliver your identification documents and apply pressure on them where appropriate. Having local Darwen know how is a plus. However it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have instructed your friend and they were content that should surpass using an unfamiliar Darwen conveyancing solicitor just because they are Darwen based.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my basement apartment in Darwen.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed however I have recently received a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you clear the service charge as you normally would because all ground rent and maintenance payments should be allottedon completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process