We are planning on selling our property in Teddington and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being built land that was not decontaminated. Any high street Teddington lawyer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers used a nationwide conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Teddington. Having lived in Teddington for many years we know that this is a non issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to seek clarification need.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer already. What do they say? You need to enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £245,000 and identified one near me in Teddington I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, however it's only got 49 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Teddington suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?

Should you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be an issue. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.

I was pointed in your direction by a number of property agents in Teddington to find a conveyancer using your seach tool. What’s the financial advantage for Estate Agents to market your lawyers rather than a competitor’s?

We don’t give any referral fee for pointing buyers and sellers in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission because a client could think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

In my capacity as executor for the will of my grandfather I am selling a residence in Neath but I am based in Teddington. My conveyancer (approximately 200 miles from merequires that I execute a stat dec before completion. Can you recommend a conveyancing lawyer in Teddington who can attest this legal document for me?

strictly speaking you are unlikely to need to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are Teddington based

Looking forward to exchange soon on a garden flat in Teddington. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they will have a report out to me on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Teddington should include some of the following:

Setting out your rights in relation to the communal areas in the building.E.G., does the lease permit a right of way over a path or hallways? Does the lease prevent you from subletting the property, or having a home office for business You would want to receive a copy of the lease You should know if the lease allows you to change or upgrade aspects of the flat- you must be made aware as to whether any restrictions relates to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is mandated necessary if lease provides for a reserve fund for major repairs?

Teddington Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should consider before buying

Its a good idea to discover as much as you can regarding the company managing the block as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. 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 issues such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Enquire of other people if they are happy with their management. In conclusion, find out the dates that the service charges are due to the appropriate party and specifically what you get for your money. Are there any major works in the near future that could add a premium to the maintenance fees? Where a Teddington lease has no more than eighty years it will impact the value of the apartment. Check with your bank that they are willing to to proceed given the lease term. 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 would need to own the residence for 24 months in order to be legally able to carry out a lease extension.