I am assisting my aunt sell her property in Walkden. Does the solicitor commission the energy assessment or it is for the seller to see to?

Following the demise of HIPs, energy performance certificates was maintained a mandatory element of selling a property. An energy performance certificate should be to hand prior to the property being placed on the market. It is not a task that lawyers ordinarily organise. If you are instructing a Walkden conveyancing practitioner they might be willing to arrange energy performance certificates given their relationships with reputable Walkden providers

Is it the case that all Walkden solicitors on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the SRA. Some banks do list licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such organisation would be overseen by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

Our sealed bid on a house in Walkden has been agreed to, the vendors do nevertheless have a tied purchase. The vendors have offered on somewhere, however it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other properties booked. I have chosen a local conveyancing solicitor in Walkden. What should be my next step? When do I get the mortgage application with Bank of Ireland going?

It is normal to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs prematurely (mortgage application is in the region of one thousand pounds, then survey, Walkden conveyancing search fees, etc). First, you should ensure that your property lawyer is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. Concerning the next stages this very much depends on the uniqueness of your transaction, attraction to the property and on the state of the market. In a buoyant market the majority of home buyers will apply for the mortgage with Bank of Ireland and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they ask their solicitor to press on with searches.

I am close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our house in Walkden and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being built land that was not decontaminated. A local conveyancer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the buyers instructed an online conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Walkden. Having lived in Walkden for many years we know of no issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to obtain confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. What do they say? You should check with 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 life insurance to cover that same sickness)

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Walkden I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, however it's only got 61 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Walkden suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?

Should you require a mortgage that many years will likely be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.

What makes your site different to alternative online quote calculators for conveyancing in Walkden?

At this site get a conveyancing costs illustration from a Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer that understands the nuances for your conveyancing in Walkden. Unlike many estate agents and brokerage sites we do not have commission deals with solicitors. A large number of agents and online brokers 'recommend' the firm paying the highest kickback, rather than the best value conveyancing in Walkden

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor apartment in Walkden. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, however I have recently had a yearly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you pay the invoice as usual because all ground rent and service invoices should be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Walkden - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge payments? Does the lease have onerous restrictions?