At what point will exchange of contracts occur in sale conveyancing in Mountsorrel and am I required to attend the solicitors office?

Where you are local to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Mountsorrel you are invited in to sign documents. However, the lender approved solicitors we work with offer countrywide coverage for conveyancing and give just as diligent and professional a job for you when dealing with you by post or email. The executing of the purchase agreement is not the important part. A signed contract is necessary for the solicitor to officially exchange at the appropriate time, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The procedure is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a lengthy "chain" is in the mix, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Mountsorrel)to be in the office at the appropriate time.

I am helping my niece sell her flat in Mountsorrel. Does the conveyancing solicitor arrange an energy performance certificate or do I organise this?

After the abolition of Home Packs, energy performance certificates was left as a required component of moving property. An EPC should be commissioned in advance of the property being advertised. This is not a task that conveyancers ordinarily organise. If you are using a Mountsorrel conveyancing solicitor they may help arrange energy assessments given their relationships with reputable local assessors

Is it the case that all Mountsorrel CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Coventry BS conveyancing list of approved firms?

It is true that some lenders now make use of CQS as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their approved list of firms.

I am purchasing a property in Mountsorrel. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Skipton be concerned?

Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Skipton your lawyer must comply with the conveyancing requirements set out in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Skipton. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to Skipton where a lease fails to meet these specifications. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not limited to Mountsorrel.

I am purchasing my first flat in Mountsorrel with the aid of help to buy. The developers would not move on the price so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The sale representative told me not disclose to my conveyancer about the extras as it would adversely affect my mortgage with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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 am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and found one close by in Mountsorrel I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 49 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Mountsorrel for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you require a home loan that many years may be an issue. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this.

Last September I purchased a leasehold flat in Mountsorrel. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

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. It is an essential part 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).

I invested in buying a ground floor flat in Mountsorrel, conveyancing formalities finalised June 2001. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Comparable flats in Mountsorrel with an extended lease are worth £222,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease expires on 21st October 2096

With just 70 years left to run the likely cost is going to range between £9,500 and £11,000 plus legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.