I am need of leasehold conveyancing for a flat in a fairly new development (seven years built) in Ruislip. Almost all the appartments are already occupied. Do I need carry out the neighbourhood searches for my conveyancing in Ruislip?

Where you are obtaining a mortgage, your bank will need some (many) of the searches so you'll have no choice. If not, then Ruislip conveyancing searches are optional. Your lawyer, will ’encourage’, perhaps in the strongest possible terms, that you should have the searches done, but he or she has a professional duty to do this. One thing to bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future buyer what the searches contain. Sometimes houses with no practical issues can still throw up adverse search results. But if you insist that your lawyer to proceed without searches then your lawyer will have to follow your instructions or ask you to appoint a different lawyer for your conveyancing in Ruislip.

What is the difference between a licensed conveyancer and conveyancing solicitor in Ruislip

There are many recorded licenced Conveyancers in Ruislip and Solicitor practices in Ruislip who can assist with your conveyancing We would stress that the two are supervised by regulatory bodies with both specialising in the legal work in the home buying process. They may both also conduct other property legal work such as remortgage conveyancing, enfranchisement and transfer of equity conveyancing.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Ruislip. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Aldermore be concerned?

Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Aldermore your lawyer must comply with the conveyancing requirements outlined in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Aldermore. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Aldermore where a lease fails to comply with these specifications. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Ruislip.

I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in January 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, Yorkshire BS are being pedantic. The Ruislip solicitor who is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Yorkshire BS are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Yorkshire BS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Yorkshire BS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Yorkshire BS may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

Various web forums that I have frequented warn that are the main cause of hinderance in Ruislip house deals. Is this right?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the most frequent causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are unlikely to be the root cause of slowing down conveyancing in Ruislip.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one near me in Ruislip I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, however it only has 49 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Ruislip suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term may be an issue. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

I've found a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have since found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in Ruislip. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Ruislip are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Ruislip so you should seriously consider looking for a Ruislip conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the landlord’spermission to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor should appraise you on the various issues.

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord to extend my lease without success. Can I make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Ruislip conveyancing firm to help?

Where there is a absentee freeholder or if there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant legislation you can apply to the LVT to make a decision on the sum to be paid.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Ruislip property is Flat 72 Queens Walk in January 2013. The Tribunals calculated the premium payable to be £22,090. This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 53.26 years.