I am purchasing a house mortgage free in Perivale. I have resided for the last dozen years in Perivale. Conveyancing searches are exorbitant. As I know the area and road intimately should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?

If you not getting a mortgage, then all but one or two of the Perivale conveyancing searches are at your discretion. Your lawyer will try and steer you, no-doubt strongly, that you should have searches done, but he is duty bound to do this. One thing to take into account; if you are likely to sell the house at a future date, it will be of importance to your prospective purchaser what the searches reveal. On occasion houses with day to day issues can still reveal detrimental search results. A competent conveyancing solicitor in Perivale will be able to give you some constructive guidance in this regard.

What happens if my solicitor is removed from the Principality Conveyancing panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Perivale?

The first thing to point out is that, 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 at a cost.

A relative informed me that in buying a property in Perivale there may be various restrictions preventing external alterations to a property. Is this right?

We are aware of a number of properties in Perivale which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external changes. Part of the conveyancing in Perivale should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with TSB. I assume I don't need a Perivale conveyancer on the TSB panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.

If you have finished paying off your TSB mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the TSB mortgage from the register. TSB, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where TSB has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. TSB has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I have instructed a Perivale solicitor having made sure that they are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Bank of Ireland will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Bank of Ireland will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Perivale surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

I am buying a new build flat in Perivale. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Set out below is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Perivale

Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore.

As co-executor for the estate of my uncle I am disposing of a residence in Cardiff but I am based in Perivale. My conveyancer (who is 250 miles from mehas requested that I execute a statutory declaration ahead of completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Perivale who can witness and place their company stamp on the document?

strictly speaking you should not be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are based in Perivale