My husband and I are planning to buy a house in Isle of Dogs and are in fact using a Isle of Dogs conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report with a view to exchanging next week. have this afternoon contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Isle of Dogs solicitor is not on their approved list of lawyers. Is this a problem?

Where you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' lawyers to also represent the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your lender and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Isle of Dogs solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.

As someone unfamiliar with the Isle of Dogs conveyancing process what is the number one tip you can give me concerning the house moving process in Isle of Dogs

Not many law firms shout this from the rooftops but conveyancing in Isle of Dogs or throughout England and Wales is an adversarial experience. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there is lots of room for friction between you and other parties involved in the transaction. For instance, the seller, selling agent and sometimes your mortgage company. Selecting a law firm for your conveyancing in Isle of Dogs an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE party in the legal process whose interest is to look after your legal interests and to keep you safe.

Sometimes a third party with a vested interest will attempt to convince you that it is in your interests to do things their way. For instance, the estate agent may claim to be assisting by suggesting your conveyancer is slow. Or your mortgage broker may advise you to do something that is against your solicitors recommendation. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties when it comes to the legal transfer of property.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in Isle of Dogs?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Isle of Dogs. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I opted to have a survey completed on a property in Isle of Dogs in advance of instructing conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor advised that some lenders tend not give a mortgage on such a property.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different requirements for example to Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can investigate further via the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Isle of Dogs. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Isle of Dogs to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

I have just started marketing my 2 bed apartment in Isle of Dogs. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, however I have just had a half-yearly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

It best that you pay the service charge as usual because all ground rent and service invoices should be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, 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 unless 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.

Isle of Dogs Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries Prior to buying

For many Isle of Dogs leaseholds the cost for major works are not incorporated into the service charges, albeit that a few managing agents in Isle of Dogs ask leaseholders to pay into a sinking fund and this is used to offset against larger works. You should want to find out as much as you can concerning the company managing the block as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you are often at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to every day issues like the upkeep of the communal areas. Enquire of other tenants what they think of their management. Finally, be sure you know the dates that the maintenance fees are due to the managing agents and precisely how they are spending the funds. How is the lease structured?