I bought my apartment on 12 October and the transaction details is yet to be registered. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Oxfordshire said it would be formalised in less than a month. Are transfers in Oxfordshire particularly slow to register?

As far as conveyancing in Oxfordshire is concerned, registration is no quicker or slower than the rest of England and Wales. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can vary depending on the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and if the Land registry must send notices to any interested parties. Currently roughly 80% of such applications are fully dealt with within two weeks but occasionally there can be longer delays. Registration is effected once the new owner is living at the property therefore 'speed' is not always an essential issue yet if it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your solicitor can communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for an expedited registration.

I opted to have a survey completed on a property in Oxfordshire before retaining conveyancers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. Our surveyor has said that some mortgage companies may not give a mortgage on such a property.

It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different instructions for example to Birmingham Midshires. If you contact us we can check with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Oxfordshire. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

In my capacity as executor for the will of my uncle I am selling a house in Swansea but reside in Oxfordshire. My solicitor (based 250 miles awayneeds me to sign a statutory declaration ahead of completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Oxfordshire who can witness and place their company stamp on the document?

Technically speaking you are unlikely to be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are Oxfordshire based

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of flats in Oxfordshire both have about 50 years remaining on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There are plenty of short leases in Oxfordshire. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the value of the lease reduces and results in it becoming more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is advisable to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We recommend you get professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area.

Oxfordshire Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

Its a good idea to find out as much as you can concerning the company managing the block as they can either make your life much simpler or problematic. As the owner of a leasehold property you are often at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to day to day matters like the tidiness of the common parts. Enquire of prospective neighbours whether they are happy with them. In conclusion, investigate as to the dates that the service charges are due to the relevant party and specifically how they are spending the funds. Where a Oxfordshire lease has fewer than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the value of the apartment. Check with your bank that they are happy with residual term of the lease. A short lease means that you will almost definitely have to extend the lease at some point and you need to have some idea of how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you will need to own the residence for a couple of years in order to be legally able to carry out a lease extension. This information is important as a) areas could result in problems in the building as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where maintenance remain unpaid b) if the leaseholders have an issue with the running of the building you will wish to know about it

My dad completed his conveyancing in Oxfordshire 9 years ago. He has been married, widowed and in recent months got married again. He now wishes to the sell the Oxfordshire property. I believe he will simply be requested to supply copies of his marriage certificates to the lawyer however he is anxious it will delay the conveyancing. Should he instruct a conveyancing practitioner to update the title details for the house?

You are not required to bring up to date the register as long as you have the proof required to demonstrate how the change of name resulted.

Any buyer’s solicitor should check the land registry entries and ask for evidence to establish the name change e.g. marriage documentation.