Recently been in touch with my conveyancing lawyer in West Malling who acted for me 18 months ago requesting a conveyancing quote based on the same type of home move (a leasehold residence and a freehold property) of almost identical values with a home loan from . I am now being quoted twice the amount. Should I look for a cheaper internet property lawyer?

The estimate does seem a little on the high side. If you are willing to invest time comparing costs you could shave off some of the expense by perhaps £100 plus VAT. That being said, assuming were pleased with the legal work the firm offered you couldlive to regret choosing an a cheaper lawyer. If is important to check that the conveyancer can act for . Do use our search tool to select a West Malling conveyancing firm on the approved list of lawyers, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in West Malling.

We're in West Malling, First timers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is , and our solicitor is on the conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and found one close by in West Malling I like with a park and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 49 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in West Malling in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?

If you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this.

I have been recommended by a number of selling agents in West Malling to locate a solicitor on your site. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to offer your site ahead of a competitor’s?

We refuse to give any commission for pointing buyers and sellers to this site. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission as a client could think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

West Malling Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

Is the freehold owned collectively by the leaseholders? How much is the ground rent and service charge? In the main the cost for major works tend not to be wrapped into the maintenance charges, although there some managing agents in West Malling ask leasehold owners to pay into a sinking fund created for the specific purpose of establishing a fund for larger repairs or maintenance.