I was referred a solicitor who has given a fee calculation of £1350 for no sale no fee conveyancing in Malmesbury. I am selling a Victorian house for £225,000. This seems over the top. Is it in excess of what I should be paying for conveyancing in Malmesbury?

The estimate does seem marginally overpriced. If you shop around you may be able to decrease the fees marginally by perhaps £100 plus VAT. On the other hand, you mightcome to regret opting for an an unknown conveyancer. If is important to be sure that the conveyancer can represent your bank. You can utilise our search tool to find a Malmesbury conveyancing practice on the banks approved list of lawyers which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Malmesbury.

Can you explain why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Malmesbury is more expensive?

Malmesbury leasehold properties involve far more paperwork than a freehold purchase, and therefore takes more time to examine and advise upon.Conveyancing will involve the lease having to be checked which is usually a lengthy document, queries raised to ensure that the covenants and conditions have been observed. If it is a flat there will be a management company in existence and the accounts of this will need to be checked and enquiries raised to ensure it is operating efficiently and that all monies due have been paid by the Seller to the company and if not ensuring that money is paid up to date or the appropriate undertakings obtained.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one close by in Malmesbury I like with amenity areas and station nearby, the downside is that it's only got 49 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Malmesbury in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?

If you need a home loan that many years may be an issue. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you could ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.

I am 3 weeks into a freehold purchase having been recommend to solicitors by the high street agent to carry out the conveyancing in Malmesbury. We are not happy. Can you help me find new conveyancers?

A solicitor would have to be really poor in order to consider changing them. Has the mortgage offer been generated? If so you must make them aware of the new contact details and have the mortgage documents are issued to the new lawyers. Your solicitor ideally needs to be on the banks approved list to avoid added charges and delays. So that should be your starting point. The search tool should help you find a bank approved solicitor for your home move in Malmesbury

Last September I purchased a leasehold house in Malmesbury. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Malmesbury Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

How is the lease structured? Its a good idea to find out as much as you can concerning the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the owner of a leasehold property you are often in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to practical matters such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Enquire of other tenants if they are happy with them. In conclusion, be sure you discover the dates that the maintenance charges are due to the relevant party and specifically how they are spending the funds. Who takes responsibility for maintaining and repairing the building?