I was recommended to a lawyer who has quoted £1350 for no completion no fee conveyancing in Matlock. I’m looking to sell a Georgian property for £150,000. Are the quoted fees excessive? Is it above the norm for conveyancing in Matlock?

The quote is slightly on the steep side. If you shop around you may be able to trim some of the cost by perhaps a hundred pounds. That being said, you mightcome to rue opting for an an unknown lawyer. Remember to be sure that the conveyancer can act for your bank. Do use our search tool to choose a Matlock conveyancing firm on the lender’s approved list of lawyers which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Matlock.

As someone unfamiliar with conveyancing in Matlock what’s your top tip you can impart concerning the legal transfer of property in Matlock

Not many law firms or advisers will tell you this but conveyancing in Matlock or throughout Derbyshire is often a confrontational experience. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there exists lots of room for conflict between you and others involved in the house moving process. For example, the vendor, selling agent and even potentially the mortgage company. Selecting a law firm for your conveyancing in Matlock is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE party in the transaction whose interest is to act in your legal interests and to keep you safe.

There is a distinct emergence of a "blame" culture- someone must be blamed for the process taking so long. You should always trust your conveyancer above all other parties in the home moving process.

We previously chose conveyancers with offices in Matlock on the TSB solicitor approved list. They are now charging me an additional amount for handling the TSB mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by TSB?

As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your conveyancing practitioner can charge a fee for this. The charge is not set by TSB but by your Matlock property lawyer. Plenty of firms on the TSB panel will quote an ‘acting for lender’ fee but some practices incorporate it on their overall fee.

My wife and I are spending time looking at houses in Matlock and I am about to put in an offer. Is it wise to have my property lawyer on ‘stand by’? I am planning to take a home loan with Lloyds.

It would be advisable to commence your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the EA. As you are seeking a mortgage with Lloyds, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel.

Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Matlock. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?

Almost all banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Department at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are sorted out very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.

I am a negotiator for a reputable estate agency in Matlock where we have witnessed a few flat sales put at risk as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given conflicting advice from local Matlock conveyancing firms. Could you clarify whether the vendor of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the buyer?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Matlock - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

What is the the remaining lease term? Best to be warned whether fixing the lift or some other significant cost is pending that will be shared amongst the leaseholders and could well dramatically increase the the service charges or necessitate a specific payment. For most Matlock leaseholds the cost for major works tend not to be built into the maintenance charges, albeit that some managing agents in Matlock ask tenants to contribute towards a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger repairs or maintenance.

I am in the process of purchasing my 1st house in Matlock. Conveyancing practitioner already appointed. The financial consultant suggested that a survey is not needed as the house was only built twenty two years ago.

As the bare minimum you need a Home Buyer's Report. Given the property is more than ten years old the property will not come with a warranty, so you don't want to take a risk. Where a property of this age shows no signs of problems a Home Buyer's report may be enough. The report should highlight any apparent issues and recommend additional investigation where relevant. If there are any signs of problems get a full Building Survey from the beginning.