My fiance and I are looking to acquire a house in Thames Ditton and are in fact using a Thames Ditton conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our property lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. have this evening contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Thames Ditton lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. What do we do from here?

When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is normal for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your lender and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Thames Ditton lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.

Do commercial conveyancing searches reveal proposed roadworks that may affect a commercial estate in Thames Ditton?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Thames Ditton will execute a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers expend in investigating accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Thames Ditton. The search result provides definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Thames Ditton.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Thames Ditton it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately could cause delays to Thames Ditton commercial conveyancing deals as well as present a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not carried out for domestic conveyancing in Thames Ditton.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Thames Ditton?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Thames Ditton. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Thames Ditton is where the house is located. Can you offer any assistance?

Flying freeholds in Thames Ditton are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Thames Ditton you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Thames Ditton may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Thames Ditton - Sample of Questions you should ask before buying

Many Thames Ditton leasehold flats will have a service charge for maintenance of the block set by the landlord. Should you acquire the apartment you will have to pay this contribution, normally in instalments during the year. This can vary from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common grounds. There will also be a ground rent to be met annual, this is usually not a large amount, say around £25-£75 but you need to check as occasionally it could be surprisingly expensive. Does this lease have in excess of 80 years left? You should want to find out as much as possible about the managing agents as they will either make your living at the property much simpler or uncomfortable. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to every day issues such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Ask other people what they think of them. Finally, investigate as to the dates that the service fees are due to the relevant party and specifically what you get for your money.