I require conveyancing for a flat in a relatively new development (seven years built) in Upper Tooting. 95% of the appartments have already been occupied. Is it strictly necessary to order conveyancing searches as part of conveyancing in Upper Tooting?

A big part of the Upper Tooting legal transfer of property is the conveyancing searches. There are numerous search providers delivering Upper Tooting conveyancing searches, as well direct from the local authority. These are usually referred to as personal search providers and they produce, not surprisingly, personal searches. However, all Local Authority Search conveyancing products have one thing in common - they must secure their data from the local authoritative source.

Me and my partner are purchasing a property in Upper Tooting. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a lawyer? On completion day we have to deposit funds into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our deposit?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

What is your number one tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Upper Tooting

We would encourage you not to go for the lowest Upper Tooting 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 go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

After weeks of negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Upper Tooting. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their conveyancer. I paid an advanced payment of £150. A few days later, the conveyancing practitioner contacted me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Barclays conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Barclays panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I need some fast conveyancing in Upper Tooting as I am faced with pressure to complete in less than one month. Thankfully I do not need a mortgage. Can I avoid the conveyancing searches to save money and time?

As you are are a mortgage free buyer you have the choice not to do searches although no law firm would suggest that you don't. Drawing on our experience of conveyancing in Upper Tooting the following are examples of issues that can crop up and therefore impact the marketability of the property: Enforcement Notices, Outstanding Charges, Overdue Grants, Unadopted Roads,...

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in Upper Tooting?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Upper Tooting. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Upper Tooting conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Upper Tooting conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you talk with two or three firms including non Upper Tooting conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be helpful:

If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not? How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?

Upper Tooting Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should consider before buying

Does the lease include onerous restrictions? Is the freehold owned collectively by the leaseholders?