Will our lawyer be raising enquiries regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Cholsey.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers conducting conveyancing in Cholsey. There are those who acquire a property in Cholsey, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.

Solicitors are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous searches that may be undertaken by the purchaser or by their lawyers which can figure out the risks in Cholsey. The conventional set of information supplied to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a usual question of the seller to discover if the property has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred which is not revealed by the vendor, then a purchaser could bring a legal claim for losses stemming from an incorrect reply. The purchaser’s lawyers will also carry out an enviro report. This will indicate if there is any known flood risk. If so, additional investigations should be conducted.

I purchased my house on 2 January and the transaction details are still not on the land registry website. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Cholsey said it should be dealt with inside ten days. Are transfers in Cholsey uniquely lengthy to register?

There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Cholsey registration formalities. Rather than based on location, timescales can vary subject to the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry have to notify any other parties. At present approximately 80% of such applications are fully addressed within 12 days but some can be subject to extensive delays. Registration takes place once the purchaser has moved in to the property thus registration formalities is not always primary concern yet where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your solicitor should communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Cholsey benefiting from help to buy. The sellers would not reduce the price so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent suggested that I not inform my conveyancer about the deal as it could affect my mortgage with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I was recommended by a number of property agents in Cholsey to locate a solicitor on your site. What’s the financial upside for Estate Agents to promote your lawyers over another?

We refuse to make any referral fee for pointing buyers and sellers our way. We thought it would be too underhand a fee as members of the public would think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

Should I choose a Cholsey conveyancing solicitor based in the vicinity that I am purchasing? We have a good friend who can handle the legal formalities however his firm is located 400miles away.

The primary upside of using a local Cholsey conveyancing firm is that you can visit the firm to execute documents, deliver your identification documents and pester them if necessary. Having local Cholsey know how is a plus. That being said it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If you know people who instructed your friend and they were content that should surpass using an unknown Cholsey conveyancing lawyer just because they are round the corner.