Will our conveyancer be raising enquiries about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Southwick.

Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors dealing with homes in Southwick. Some people will purchase a property in Southwick, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or dispose of the property. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.

Solicitors are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, however there are a various checks that can be undertaken by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which will give them a better appreciation of the risks in Southwick. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms sent to a buyer’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a standard question of the seller to find out whether the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that the residence has been flooded in past which is not revealed by the seller, then a purchaser may bring a claim for damages as a result of such an inaccurate answer. A buyer’s conveyancers may also commission an environmental report. This will disclose if there is any known flood risk. If so, additional inquiries should be carried out.

It has been three months since my purchase conveyancing in Southwick completed. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £160,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the residence from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I'm buying my first flat in Southwick with a loan from . The developers refused to move on the price so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep advised me not disclose to my conveyancer about this side-deal as it will put at risk my loan with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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 need to appoint a conveyancing solicitor for residential conveyancing in Southwick. I have chance upon a site which seems to have the ideal answer If it is possible to get all formalities done via email that would be preferable. Should I be wary? What are the potential pitfalls?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

Southwick Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

You should be aware that where the lease has no more than eighty years it will affect the marketability of the flat. It is worth checking with your mortgage company that they are willing to to proceed given the lease term. A short lease means that you will probably have to extend the lease at some point and you need to have some idea of how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you would be be obliged to have owned the premises for two years in order to be eligible to carry out a lease extension. For many Southwick leaseholds the cost for major works are not wrapped into the service charges, albeit that some managing agents in Southwick obliged tenants to contribute towards a reserve fund and this is used to offset against major repairs or maintenance. Its a good idea to discover as much as you can regarding the company managing the building as they can either make life much simpler or uncomfortable. Being a leasehold owner you are often at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to day to day issues such as the upkeep of the communal areas. Ask other people what they think of them. On a final note, investigate as to the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and precisely how they are spending the funds.