Why would one appoint a Lewisham conveyancing company given that national alternatives are easier on the wallet?

By all means make sure that you compare conveyancing costs in Lewisham and you should seek a competitive estimate but don’t become consumed with looking for the lowest priced Lewisham conveyancer. Locating the right conveyancer can mark the difference between a seamless and a frustrating home move. It is important that you ensure that you have expert advice from a specialist solicitor. An e-mail can never be as helpful as a telephone call and are no substitute for a face to face consultation. The firms that we work with will appoint you a qualified and trusted conveyancing solicitor that will deal with your conveyancing from from the outset to completion, providing a level of personalised service that you will never get with an internet conveyancer. He or She will contact you regularly to update you on any developments making sure that you are regularly updated. Should it ever be necessary to contact the firm you will be sure who to ask for and they will ensure you are in the know.

Will my lawyer be raising enquiries about flooding during the conveyancing in Lewisham.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers dealing with homes in Lewisham. There are those who acquire a property in Lewisham, completely expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a number of searches that can be undertaken by the buyer or by their lawyers which should figure out the risks in Lewisham. The standard information supplied to a buyer’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a usual inquiry of the owner to find out if the premises has ever been flooded. If the property has been flooded in past and is not revealed by the vendor, then a buyer may commence a legal claim for losses resulting from an incorrect reply. The purchaser’s conveyancers will also carry out an enviro search. This should higlight whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations will need to be initiated.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build apartment in Lewisham. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.

Set out below are examples of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Lewisham

The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents.

I am looking at a couple of flats in Lewisham which have approximately forty five years remaining on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in Lewisham. The lease is a right to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the marketability of the lease reduces and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is generally wise to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage lenders may be unwilling to lend money on such properties. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We advise that you seek professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area.

Notwithstanding our best endeavours, we have been unsuccessful in trying to reach an agreement for a lease extension in Lewisham. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

in cases where there is a missing freeholder or if there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to calculate the sum to be paid.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Lewisham residence is 73 Walerand Road in August 2012. the result of the findings of the Tribunal led to a premium to be paid for the extended lease in respect of Flat 73 in the sum of £10,040. The premium applicable in respect of Flat 85 was £5,710. This case was in relation to 2 flats. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 72 years.

I acquired a flat in Lewisham last 18/4/2024 and to date it is still not registered with the Land Registry. It is part of a development site and my conveyancer told me that it can take twelve months to register. I have called HM Land Registry directly and they say that the initial application was cancelled due to failure to reply to requisitions. Do I need to be concerned?

It is your conveyancer that you must get in touch with in order to satisfy any concerns which have been raised as part of the registration process for your Lewisham property. Normal Lewisham conveyancing practice includes an undertaking on the part of the vendor’s property lawyer that they will assist in resolving any registration raised by HMLR so it may be a case of seeking to enforce that undertaking in some way.