I am acquiring a property mortgage free in Walkington. I have resided for the previous dozen years in Walkington. Conveyancing searches are a lot of money. Given that I have knowledge of the area and road intimately should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?

If you not getting a home loan, then the vast majority of the Walkington conveyancing searches are optional. Your solicitor will ’encourage you, perhaps strongly, that you should have searches completed, but she is duty bound to do this. Do take into account; if you are likely to dispose of the house in the future, it will be of importance to your prospective buyer what the searches disclose. On occasion houses with day to day issues can still reveal detrimental search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Walkington will be able to give you some helpful advice in this regard.

Forgive me if this question is silly but I am unseasoned as a 1st time buyer of a two bedroom flat in Walkington. Do I receive the keys to the property on the completion date from my conveyancer? If so, I will find a local conveyancing solicitor in Walkington?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will arrange to send the completion advance to the seller's conveyancers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you should be able to receive the keys from the selling Agents and start moving into the property. This tends to happen early afternoon.

Is it the case that all Walkington CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Santander conveyancing panel?

It is true that some lenders now make use of the accreditation scheme as the kick off point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to remain on their panels.

I have paid off my mortgage with Leeds Building Society. I assume I don't need a Walkington conveyancer on the Leeds Building Society panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Leeds Building Society mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Leeds Building Society mortgage from the register. Leeds Building Society, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Leeds Building Society has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Leeds Building Society has instructed the Land Registry to do so

About to purchase a new build flat in Walkington. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Walkington

Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose?

I am looking to sell my home. My past lawyers closed down. I am in need of a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. I happen to live in Walkington if that affects matters.

Do use our search tool to help you find a solicitor for your conveyancing in Walkington. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with regulated solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move runs smoothly.

I am attracted to a two flats in Walkington which have about 50 years left on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold flat in Walkington is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it reduces the marketability of the property. The majority of buyers and banks, leases with under 75 years become less and less attractive. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Walkington conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Walkington - Sample of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

What is the name of the managing agents? The answer will be useful as a) areas can cause problems in the building as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where services remain unpaid b) if the leasehold owners have an issue with the managing agents you will want to have complete disclosure