As a FTB what is the most important number one tip you can impart about purchase conveyancing in West Green?

Not many law firms shout this from the rooftops but conveyancing in West Green or throughout England and Wales is an adversarial process. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there is an abundance of opportunity for friction between you and others involved in the legal transfer of property. For example, the vendor, estate agent and on occasion your lender. Appointing a solicitor for your conveyancing in West Green should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE party in the process whose interest is to act in your legal interests and to keep you safe.

There is a worrying ongoing adversarial element to conveyancing- someone must be at fault for the process taking so long. We recommend that you must always trust your conveyancer above all other players when it comes to the legal transfer of property.

How can we tell if a West Green conveyancing solicitor on the Aldermore panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in West Green obtaining recommendations is a sensible start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always recommend that you speak with the lawyer handling your conveyancing.

My husband and I have organised a further advance on our mortgage from Nationwide as we intend to carry out alterations to our home in West Green. Are we obliged to select a nearby West Green solicitor on the Nationwide conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?

Nationwide would not normally appoint a member of their conveyancing panel to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Nationwide panel.

I am expecting a DIP from Yorkshire BS this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Yorkshire BS recommend any West Green solicitors on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint West Green solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Yorkshire BS through the process.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and identified one close by in West Green I like with amenity areas and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 51 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in West Green in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?

If you require a home loan that many years will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.

My husband and I are novice buyers - had an offer accepted, yet the estate agent has warned us that the vendor will only proceed if we use the agent's chosen solicitors as they need a ‘quick sale’. We would rather use a family conveyancer used to conveyancing in West Green

It is improbable the owners are behind this. If they desire ‘a quick sale', alienating a genuine buyer is counter productive. Avoid the agents and go straight to the sellers and make the point that (a)you are genuine purchasers (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances in place © you have nothing to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you will continue to instruct your preferred West Green conveyancing solicitors - not the ones that will provide their estate agent a commission or hit his conveyancing targets set by head office.

What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a West Green conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a West Green conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you make enquires with two or three firms including non West Green conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be useful:

What volume of lease extensions have they completed in West Green in the last year? What are the charges for lease extension conveyancing?

Following years of correspondence we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in West Green. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

if there is a missing landlord or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the LVT to arrive at the price.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a West Green flat is 61 Clinton Road in April 2012. Following a vesting order Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court under section 26 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 on 5th July 2011 the Tribunal decided that the price that the Applicant for the freehold interest should pay is £17,000 This case affected 2 flats. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 73.88 years.