Me and my fiance are buying residence in Browns Green. My lawyer is not listed on the bank solicitor list. Can I still retain my Browns Green conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the bank approved list?

One must use a lawyer to deal with the formalities if you require a mortgage to purchase your property. The lawyer will conduct all the appropriate investigations on the property, ensuring that you will be properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the required mortgage documentation is dealt with. You can appoint a Browns Green conveyancer of your choice. However, where the property lawyer appointed is not on the bank approved list additional fees will arise as separate legal representation will be required by them. Lender panel applications may be submitted, so if your lawyer has not previously applied for membership they should take the chance to apply.

It is 10 years ago since I purchased my property in Browns Green. Conveyancing lawyers have now been appointed on the sale but I can't find my deeds. Will this cause complications?

You need not be too concerned. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be with the lender or they could still be with the lawyers who oversaw the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the property will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining current official copies of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Browns Green relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

We are purchasing a detached bungalow in Browns Green. The intention is to convert the garage to an office at the house.Will the conveyancing process include investigations to determine if these alterations are prohibited?

Your solicitor should check the registered title as conveyancing in Browns Green will occasionally identify restrictions in the title documents which prohibit certain works or need the consent of a 3rd party. Certain extensions require local authority planning consent and approval in accordance building regulations. Many areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. It would be prudent to check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

Is it the case that all Browns Green CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Nationwide conveyancing panel?

Some major lenders now utilise the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to join their panels.

I had a mortgage agreed in principle with Yorkshire BS. Browns Green conveyancing practitioners have been chosen. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Yorkshire BS?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Yorkshire BS done the survey? Have you informed Yorkshire BS as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

How does conveyancing in Browns Green differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build property in Browns Green come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is completed. This is because new home sellers in Browns Green typically acquire 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 Browns Green or who has acted in the same development.

I only have Fifty years left on my lease in Browns Green. I am keen to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What should I do?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be extended by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to locate the lessor. On the whole an enquiry agent would be useful to try and locate and to produce an expert document which can be used as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Browns Green.

Browns Green Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

Be sure to find out if there are any onerous restrictions in the lease. By way of example it is fairly common in Browns Green leases that pets are not allowed in certain buildings in Browns Green. If you like the flatin Browns Green but your cat can’t make the move with you then you will be faced difficult compromise. Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge payments? It would be sensible to discover as much as you can concerning the company managing the building as they can either make your living at the property much simpler or problematic. As the owner of a leasehold property you will be in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to daily matters like the cleanliness of the common parts. Ask other people whether they are happy with them. On a final note, be sure you discover the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the managing agents and precisely how they are spending that money.