As a novice what is the most important piece of guidance you can impart about purchase conveyancing in Birmingham and the Black Country?

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Birmingham and the Black Country or throughout Birmingham is often a confrontational process. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of opportunity for confrontation between you and other parties involved in the legal transfer of property. For example, the seller, estate agent and on occasion the lender. Choosing a lawyer for your conveyancing in Birmingham and the Black Country should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE person in the legal process whose responsibility is to act in your best interests and to keep you safe.

Sometimes a third party with a vested interest will try and sway you that you should follow their advice. For instance, the selling agent may claim to be helping by suggesting your solicitor is wrong. Or your financial adviser may tell you to do take action that is contrary to your conveyancers guidance. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties when it comes to the legal transfer of property.

I am buying a semi-detached house in Birmingham and the Black Country. Can I do my own conveyancing?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Birmingham and the Black Country you will have to appoint a solicitor on your mortgage company's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Birmingham and the Black Country.

How do I search for a Birmingham and the Black Country solicitor on the Barclays conveyancing panel? I have a car and am willing to travel upto 20miles to meet the lawyer.

You can use the search on this website. Please select a lender and your location and you will see a number of Birmingham and the Black Country conveyancing lawyers locally. We have detailed some Birmingham and the Black Country conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can ring them to verify if they are on the Barclays approved list

In my capacity as executor for the estate of my father I am selling a residence in Monmouth but I am based in Birmingham and the Black Country. My conveyancer (approximately 260 kilometers awayhas requested that I execute a statutory declaration before completion. Can you recommend a conveyancing practitioner in Birmingham and the Black Country to attest this legal document for me?

Technically speaking you are unlikely to be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are based in Birmingham and the Black Country

What are the common deficiencies that you encounter in leases for Birmingham and the Black Country properties?

Leasehold conveyancing in Birmingham and the Black Country is not unique. All leases are drafted differently and drafting errors can result in certain sections are not included. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

You may have difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. HSBC Bank, Coventry Building Society, and Britannia all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the purchaser to pull out.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Birmingham and the Black Country - Examples of Queries before buying

Plenty Birmingham and the Black Country leasehold apartments will incur a service charge for maintenance of the block invoiced by the landlord. If you buy the apartment you will have to meet this charge, normally quarterly during the year. This can be anything from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large communal grounds. In all probability there will be a rentcharge for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a large figure, say about £25-£75 but you should to enquire as sometimes it could be many hundreds of pounds. How many years remain on the lease? The answer will be useful as a) areas may cause problems in the building as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate if maintenance are not paid for b) if the tenants have an issue with the running of the building you will wish to have full disclosure