My colleague recommended that where I am buying in Bewdley I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

This is a search is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard Bewdley conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of about 40 pages, listing and setting out important information about Bewdley around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Bewdley Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Bewdley Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Bewdley.

How does conveyancing in Bewdley differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Bewdley come to us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is finished. This is because developers in Bewdley typically purchase the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Bewdley or who has acted in the same development.

I need to instruct a conveyancing lawyer in Bewdley for my home move. Is there any facility to check a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?

Anyone may find presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from investigations commenced on or after 1 January 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may recorded call for training reasons.

There are only 72 years unexpired on my lease in Bewdley. I need to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to track down the landlord. For most situations a specialist should be useful to carry out a search and to produce a report which can be used as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer both on devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Bewdley.

Bewdley Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should consider before buying

It would be sensible to find out as much as possible about the managing agents as they can either make life much simpler or problematic. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are often in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to day to day matters such as the upkeep of the communal areas. Enquire of other people what they think of them. Finally, be sure you know the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the appropriate party and specifically how they are spending that money. Is there a share of the freehold? Plenty Bewdley leasehold flats will incur a service bill for the upkeep of the block levied by the freeholder. Where you purchase the property you will have to meet this charge, usually in instalments throughout the year. This could be anything from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built buildings. In all likelihood there will be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, normally this is not a large amount, say around £25-£75 but you need to enquire as on occasion it can be surprisingly expensive.

We today become aware that one of the directors of the law firm acting on the purchase conveyancing in Bewdley is an uncle of the seller. Is this allowed?

Provided no conflict arises this should be fine. If you are needing a home loan then the lender may have a say as many mortgage companies have specific requirements on this. For example for RBS - Direct Line as of 22/1/2026, the requirements read as follows :