Can I use your services to locate a Conveyancing solicitor in Wick even if I’m not purchasing or selling a house, for example if I intend to buy an office in Wick with a mortgage from Barclays Direct?

The service is mainly there to find residential conveyancing solicitors in Wick but we have listed at the bottom of this page a few Wick commercial conveyancing firms. You will need to enquire with the company directly to check if they can also act for Barclays Direct

My wife and I are buying a property in Wick. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a conveyancer? On completion day we have to send money into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our monies?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

I am purchasing a property in Wick. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Co-operative have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that your lender is Co-operative your lawyer must check the formal requirements set out in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Co-operative. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to Co-operative where a lease does not satisfy these specifications. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not isolated to Wick.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Wick off the council. I have a mortgage offer with Nationwide. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Nationwide, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Nationwide conveyancing panel.

I'm buying my first flat in Wick benefiting from help to buy. The sellers would not reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The property agent told me not to tell my solicitor about the deal as it would impact my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.

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 £305k and found one near me in Wick I like with open areas and station in the vicinity, however it's only got 51 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Wick for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

If you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease may be problematic. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Wick conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Wick conveyancing practice) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with several firms including non Wick conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be helpful:

How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?

I am the registered owner of a leasehold flat in Wick, conveyancing formalities finalised May 2000. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding flats in Wick with a long lease are worth £227,000. The ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2097

With 71 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.