Is it realistic for conveyancing in Belgravia to be done in less than a month?

In the event that you are under time constraints to sign contracts it is highly recommended that your lawyer is familiar with the area as they will have local connections and insight. It is even conceivable that they may have transacted otherproperties in the same street. You would be best advised to use a Belgravia conveyancing solicitor. Second, ensure that the lawyer is on the on the approved list for your mortgage company. It is claimed that nearly one in five of Belgravia conveyancing transactions are suspended or derailed after discovering a buyer’s lawyer was not on their mortgage lender’s list of approved solicitors. In many cases this discovery resulted in the legal process being frustrated by as much as 21 days. It is believed that this issue impacts in the region of 100,000 home sales every year. Most Belgravia conveyancing practices can not act for certain lenders so do check as early as possible.

Can you clarify what the consequences are if my solicitor is suspended from the Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Belgravia?

First, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.

Will my solicitor be making enquiries about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Belgravia.

Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors dealing with homes in Belgravia. There are those who purchase a property in Belgravia, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical damage, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Solicitors are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a numerous searches that may be carried out by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which should give them a better appreciation of the risks in Belgravia. The standard information given to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a standard inquiry of the vendor to find out if the property has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred and is not notified by the seller, then a purchaser may commence a legal claim for losses as a result of such an inaccurate answer. A buyer’s conveyancers may also conduct an environmental report. This will indicate whether there is any known flood risk. If so, further inquiries will need to be made.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and identified one round the corner in Belgravia I like with a park and transport links nearby, however it only has 52 years on the lease. There is not much else in Belgravia suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage that many years will likely be an issue. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this.

As co-executor for the will of my uncle I am selling a house in Swansea but I am based in Belgravia. My conveyancer (approximately 235 kilometers awayneeds me to execute a statutory declaration prior to the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Belgravia who can witness and place their company stamp on the document?

Technically speaking you are unlikely to be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or qualified solicitor will do regardless of whether they are located in Belgravia