We are purchasing a purpose built flat in Hornchurch with a loan from .We use our Hornchurch conveyancing lawyer but advised that he's not on their approved list of firms. We have to appoint a panel solicitor or keep our preferred solicitor and fork out for a panel lawyer to act for them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. The home loan issued to you contains various provisions, one of which will be that lawyers will be on the approved list. in the past, most lenders had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could find one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for

Me and my partner are buying a house in Hornchurch. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a lawyer? At some point we have to send funds into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our money?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

I just acquired a flat at auction in Hornchurch. Conveyancing is needed. What is next?

Now that you have exchanged you now have to hire the services of a conveyancing practitioner quickly as you are faced with a tight a drop dead date to complete the purchase. An auction property will have a bespoke legal set of papers. This will include most,if not all of the paperwork that your solicitor requires. Where you are dealing with leasehold property the conveyancing pack should include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing paperwork specific to leasehold premises. You need to give this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor ASAP. Do make sure that your finances are organised to complete on the date specified in the contract.

We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from as we wish to conduct renovations to our home in Hornchurch. Do we need to select a nearby Hornchurch solicitor on the conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?

do not ordinarily instruct a member of their conveyancing panel to handle the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the list.

Various internet forums that I have come across warn that are the main reason for delay in Hornchurch conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the top 10 causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Searches are not likely to feature in any delay in conveyancing in Hornchurch.

I am looking for a flat up to £195,000 and found one close by in Hornchurch I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 52 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Hornchurch suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

If you require a home loan that many years will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.

I have just appointed agents to market my basement flat in Hornchurch. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, but I have just received a yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you pay the maintenance contribution as usual given that all ground rent and maintenance charges will be allotted on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment 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.

Hornchurch Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

The best form of lease arrangement is where the freehold title is owned by the leaseholders. In this situation the leaseholders benefit from being in charge if their destiny and even though a managing agent is usually employed if the building is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. Its a good idea to find out as much as you can about the company managing the block as they can either make your living at the property much easier or uncomfortable. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to every day issues such as the tidiness of the common parts. You should not be shy to ask other people what they think of them. In conclusion, investigate as to the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and specifically what it includes. Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge liability?