At what point does exchange of contracts take place for purchase conveyancing in Warfield and do I need to be at the lawyers office?

Where you are in close proximity to our conveyancing solicitors in Warfield you are invited in to sign documents. That being said, the law practices we work with supply a national conveyancing service and give just as detailed and professional a job for you when communicating with you electronically. The executing of the contract is not the point of no return. Signing on the dotted line is just a prerequisite for the conveyancer to address the formalities when the time is right, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The procedure is is usually a five minute process, although where a long "chain" is in play, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Warfield)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.

I am in the process of refinancing my flat in Warfield, does my lawyer have to be on the TSB Solicitor panel?

In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the TSB conveyancing panel, but TSB would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same conveyancing matter.

Will our conveyancer be raising enquiries regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Warfield.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors conducting conveyancing in Warfield. Plenty of people will acquire a property in Warfield, completely aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical destruction, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Conveyancers are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous searches that can be undertaken by the buyer or by their solicitors which can figure out the risks in Warfield. The standard information supplied to a buyer’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a standard inquiry of the seller to find out whether the property has ever been flooded. If the residence has been flooded in past and is not disclosed by the owner, then a buyer could bring a compensation claim as a result of such an incorrect answer. A purchaser’s solicitors will also carry out an environmental report. This should reveal if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries should be made.

I have a renovated Georgian property in Warfield. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Birmingham Midshires. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the matching address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Warfield and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also check the position with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.

I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed apartment in Warfield. Conveyancing has not commenced, but I have just had a yearly service charge invoice – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is clear the invoice as normal because all ground rent and maintenance payments should be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until 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.

I own a ground floor flat in Warfield, conveyancing formalities finalised April 2003. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable properties in Warfield with a long lease are worth £211,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2092

With only 67 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £10,500 and £12,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.