After looking at moneysavingexpert.com for an affordable lawyer in Little Oakley, many comment that I must look for a CQS kitemarked lawyer. What is CQS?

The Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme is the recognised kitemark for legal experts in home ownership transfers, trusted by some of the UK's major mortgage companies. Four years ago the Conveyancing Quality Scheme was officially recognised by the Legal Ombudsman. The scheme does not cover licenced conveyancers. Little Oakley is one of the numerous areas of the UK where there are Accredited solicitors.

How does conveyancing in Little Oakley differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Little Oakley come to us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is finished. This is because new home sellers in Little Oakley tend to buy the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Little Oakley or who has acted in the same development.

How does the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my business premises in Little Oakley and how can you help?

The 1954 Act gives a safeguard to business lessees, giving them the a statutory right to make a request to court for a continuation of occupancy when the lease reaches an end. There are limited grounds where a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are involved. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing firms who use the act for protection and handle your commercial conveyancing in Little Oakley

Little Oakley Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

What is the service charge and ground rent on the flat? Many Little Oakley leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service bill for the upkeep of the building invoiced on behalf of the management company. If you acquire the property you will have to meet this amount, usually quarterly throughout the year. This could differ from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built blocks. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay yearly, normally this is not a large sum, say about £25-£75 but you should to check it because occasionally it can be many hundreds of pounds. The prefered form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this situation the leaseholders have control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is often retained if the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants.

My husband and I are purchasing a three bedroom housein Little Oakley with a mortgage from a lender. We like our lawyer in Little Oakley but our lender says he's not listed on their "panel". We have to appoint from the our mortgage company panel solicitors or keep our Little Oakley conveyancer and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; Can we not simply insist that our mortgage company use our Little Oakley lawyer?

No, not really. The lender home loan offered to you is subject to conditions, one of which will be that solicitors will on the mortgage company's conveyancing panel. in the past, most lenders had open panels, including many conveyancing solicitors in Little Oakley : a mortgagee could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for your mortgage company.