If you had a top tip for selecting a conveyancing solicitor in Seven Sisters what would it be?

It would be unwise to be seduced by the lowest Seven Sisters conveyancing fees. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of time.

I am assisting my step-mother sell her flat in Seven Sisters. Does the conveyancing solicitor commission the energy assessment or should I organise this?

After the abolition of Home Information Packs, energy assessments was retained a mandatory part of selling a property. An energy assessment should be to hand in advance of the property being marketed. It is not something that lawyers ordinarily organise. If you are using a Seven Sisters conveyancing lawyer they might be able to arrange energy assessments given their relationships with reputable Seven Sisters energy assessors

After shopping around on the internet I have found a Seven Sisters conveyancing practitioner having checked that they are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Yorkshire BS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Yorkshire BS 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. Your conveyancer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Seven Sisters postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Yorkshire BS, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Seven Sisters.

I require fast conveyancing in Seven Sisters as I am faced with pressure to sign on the dotted line in less than 2 weeks. A home loan is not required. Is it possible to escape the need for conveyancing searches to save fees and time?

As you are are a mortgage free purchaser you are at free not to have searches carried out although no conveyancer would advise that you don't. Drawing on years of experience of conveyancing in Seven Sisters the following are instances of issues that can crop up and therefore affect future mortgageability: Enforcement Actions, Outstanding Fees, Outstanding Grants, Road Schemes,...

I have a semi-detached Georgian house in Seven Sisters. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Halifax. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same property. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Seven Sisters and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also question the situation with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the work.

I'm converting the mortgage on my existing house to a BTL mortgage with Santander and intend to use the remaining equity as a down payment on another property. The location we are talking about is Seven Sisters. Will your solicitors be able to act for both sets of banks and tie in the transactions?

Make use of our comparison tool on this site to ensure that the lawyers are approved by both banks. Having checked that they are your solicitor should be able to connect the two transactions but you should have a chat with you solicitor and communicate your expectations and needs.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to be perfect, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Seven Sisters. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Seven Sisters are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Seven Sisters so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Seven Sisters conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the landlord’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your solicitor should report to you on the legal implications.