This question may be naive but I am new to the home moving as FTB of a two bedroom flat in Godstone. Do I collect the keys to the premises on completion from my conveyancer? If this is the case, I will find a local conveyancing solicitor in Godstone?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will arrange to send the completion advance to the owner’s lawyers, and once they have received this, you should be able to pick up the keys from the selling Agents and start moving into the property. This tends to happen between 1 and 3pm.

Is it the case that all Godstone CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Lloyds conveyancing panel?

A selection of lenders now utilise CQS as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to remain on their panels.

At last I have had an offer on a maisonette in Godstone agreed to, the owners do however have a connected purchase. The vendors have put an offer on somewhere, but it’s not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. I have selected a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Godstone. What should be my next step? At what point do I apply for the mortgage with Santander?

It is normal to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs prematurely (mortgage application is approx £1k, then valuation, Godstone conveyancing search charges, etc). The first course of action is to ensure that your solicitor is on the Santander conveyancing panel. Regarding the next steps this very much dictated by the uniqueness of your case, attraction to this property and on the state of the market. In a hot market many home buyers would apply for the mortgage with Santander and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their property lawyer to press on with the conveyancing in Godstone.

Should my solicitor be raising questions concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Godstone.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers conducting conveyancing in Godstone. There are those who buy a house in Godstone, completely expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Solicitors are not qualified to give advice on flood risk, however there are a number of searches that can be carried out by the buyer or by their lawyers which will give them a better appreciation of the risks in Godstone. The standard information given to a purchaser’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a standard question of the owner to discover whether the premises has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred and is not revealed by the seller, then a buyer may commence a legal claim for losses stemming from an inaccurate response. A purchaser’s lawyers will also carry out an enviro report. This will indicate whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries should be conducted.

I decided to have a survey done on a house in Godstone ahead of instructing lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor advised that some mortgage companies will not give a loan on this type of house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different instructions for example to Halifax. Should you wish to telephone us we can investigate further via the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Godstone. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

I am using a search engine for the phrase cheap conveyancing in Godstone it reveals many solicitorsin the area. How do I determine which is the suitable conveyancer for me?

The preferential method of choosing the right conveyancer is via personal testimonial, so seek the guidance of colleagues and relatives who have purchased a property in Godstone or a respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Godstone vary, so it's a good idea to obtain at least three quotes from varying types of solicitors. Dont forget to clarify that the costs are assured not to rise.

I see that you have a search directory listing firms on the lender conveyancing panel. Do Godstone conveyancing firms pay you a referral fee if I retain them for my own house purchase?

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the lender conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Godstone.