I am purchasing a property in Hockley. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Clydesdale be concerned?

As your lender is Clydesdale your lawyer must check the formal requirements outlined in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Clydesdale. The CML Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Clydesdale where a lease does not meet these specifications. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not restricted to Hockley.

I have instructed a Hockley conveyancer having checked that they are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Bank of Ireland will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Bank of Ireland 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. Your solicitor will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Hockley postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Hockley.

UBS have agreed my home loan in principle, my offer on a house in Hockley has been agreed to, what happens next?

The estate agent will need to know who your solicitors are (be sure the conveyancing practitioners are on the bank’s panel). Contact UBS or your financial adviser and finalise any outstanding paperwork. UBS will instruct a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or owners to schedule an appointment. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes about ten days for the mortgage offer to be issued. UBS will issue the offer to you and your conveyancing practitioners. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Hockley.

I appreciate that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Am I compelled to take this when purchasing a residence in Hockley? or I am told that there is a law dating back centuries that could mean that homeowners living in a parish church boundary will be compelled to pay for repairs towards the chancel within the church. Is this applicable for conveyancing in Hockley?

Unless a prior purchase of the premises took place post 12 October 2013 you could expect conveyancing practitioners handling conveyancing in Hockley to remain encouraging a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Hockley I like with amenity areas and station nearby, the downside is that it's only got 49 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Hockley for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?

If you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will be an issue. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you can request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

In sourcing the web for the phrase cheap conveyancing in Hockley it shows results of numerous property lawyersin the vicinity. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right conveyancing solicitor for me?

The best way of finding a suitable conveyancer is through a trusted testimonial, so ask friends and those you trust who have bought a property in Hockley or the local estate agent or mortgage broker. Charges for conveyancing in Hockley vary, so it's advisable to obtain a minimum of three quotes from different conveyancers. Dont forget to clarify that the fees are fixed.

I’m about to sell my 2 bed apartment in Hockley.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed however I have just had a quarterly service charge demand – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is clear the invoice as usual because all rents and service invoices will be allottedas part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially