Due to complete my purchase in North Cheam next Monday. My property lawyer now wants me to supply her with evidence of content and building insurance for the property as he says that he has to check this in his capacity as lawyer for the bank. What does the insurance need to cover?

Any lawyer on acting for banks would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s Part 2 instructions. These requirements are not specific to conveyancing in North Cheam.

Please explain the implications if my solicitor is removed from the RBS Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in North Cheam?

First, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.

I am assisting my mother sell her property in North Cheam. Does the conveyancing solicitor arrange the energy assessment or do I organise this?

After the demise of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates was kept a compulsory component of moving house. An energy performance certificate needs to be commissioned in advance of the property being advertised. This is not something that law firms normally organise. Where you are instructing a North Cheam conveyancing lawyer they may be willing to arrange energy assessments given their relationships with reputable North Cheam accredited person

This question may be naive but I am unexperienced as FTB of a two bedroom flat in North Cheam. Do I collect the keys to the property on completion from my lawyer? If this is the case, I will use a High Street conveyancing solicitor in North Cheam?

On the day of completion you will not be required to go to the conveyancers office in North Cheam. Your solicitors will transfer the completion advance to the owner’s lawyers, and once they have received this, you should be called to collect the keys from the property Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen between 1 and 3pm.

is it true that all North Cheam conveyancing solicitors on the Aldermore conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Aldermore approved list of solicitors they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. The majority of mortgage companies do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the firms would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

4 months have gone by following my purchase conveyancing in North Cheam took place. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £180,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the premises from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

What are the distinct benefits to selecting a local property lawyer in North Cheam

A significant proportion of house movers in North Cheam opt for a nearby high street conveyancer so that they can visit just in case they have questions, and to sign mortgage deeds rather taking the chance of relying on the post.

There is a marginal advantage in selecting a conveyancer local to the premises you are purchasing, due to the familiarity of the area and potential local concerns - nevertheless this is moot. The majority of conveyancers undertaking their communications via email and could be almost anywhere.