No Move, No Fee Halesowen Conveyancing Solicitors

Conveyancing - Buying a property in Halesowen

Caveat emptor, meaning 'let the buyer beware', was a fundamental principle of property law in England and Wales. This maxim no longer applies, however, the buyer still will need to carry out due diligence on a planned purchase.

The Halesowen conveyancing solicitor will offer professional advice following their enquiries, assist in resolving any issues and confirm that the Land Registry's record of the property is updated.

This part of the article considers the aspects of the legal process for conveyancing solicitors in Halesowen that demand specialist knowledge.

Your Halesowen conveyancing solicitor must be lender-approved

There are many mortgage providers available to homebuyers, from a large lender such as Bradford & Bingley, to a niche mortgage lender like the Leeds Building Society. Before selecting a Halesowen conveyancing solicitor, you must confirm that they can act for your lender.

Your solicitor may not be able to carry out the legal work on behalf of your lender, because some lenders will only work with a selected list (their 'panel') of solicitors or licensed conveyancers.

Should this be the case, the lender will probably need an alternative firm to complete the legal work, and you will be expected to pay this substitute lawyer's fees. Adding another solicitor to the process can delay the whole purchase.

Our solicitors can act on behalf of all banks and other lenders.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council searches and other searches

Searches are enquiries made of public bodies by Halesowen conveyancing solicitors to identify information and potential issues affecting the home you want to buy.

Searches are primarily carried out to satisfy mortgage conditions, and include the local authority (LA) search, environmental search, drainage & water search and chancel repair liability.

Further searches, such as a highways authority search or a more detailed environmental report, may also be advised in the initial LA and Environmental searches.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council has an estimated delivery time of 12 weeks for Local Authority searches, so your solicitor will instead order faster regulated searches.

Planning searches

The conveyancing solicitor acting for the buyer will also order official entries from HM Land Registry. This will help to reveal any issues, such as outbuildings missing from the title plan or limits on the development of the property.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council Council Tax

The amount of council tax a homeowner in Halesowen will pay to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council will depend on the property's value and the number of residents. The occupier of a property in Band E, for example, would owe annual council tax of £1,783.

A conveyancing solicitor in Halesowen will inform the buyer of the property's band after this is confirmed by the searches.

If the property is unoccupied for 2 years or more, an additional premium of 50% may be applied to the council tax. Single person discount reduces the tax due to 75% which would equal £1,337.

Other discounts and exemptions could also apply, for example unoccupied properties undergoing major repairs or where the property is uninhabitable. Homes built after 1991 are assessed and given a banding by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).

Is your new home in the wrong band?

Valuation Office Agency
2 Broadway
Broad Street
Birmingham
B15 1BG
West Midlands

In the 2016/17 financial year, 30 council tax challenges were made, and 10 were approved and the tax was reduced.

Stamp Duty on Halesowen properties

Stamp duty is only applicable to homes where the purchase price exceeds £125,000. Completing the SDLT1 form in order to pay stamp duty is a daunting prospect for a layperson.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) objections are avoided using the latest state-of-the-art case management system.

See examples for average local properties:

Stamp duty relief for first-time buyers in Halesowen

For first-time buyers, stamp duty is only payable on purchases over £300k. Higher rates of SDLT apply to buyers of second home in the form of a 3% surcharge. E.g. if a second home was bought for £192,867 then the SDLT including the surcharge would be £9,643.35. .

Conveyancing solicitors in Halesowen will ensure their client pays the correct amount.

Buying a flat? Leasehold conveyancing in Halesowen

Buying a leasehold home without knowing what you are getting into can be risky. Numerous technical issues may be awaiting the unsuspecting buyer, including:

• unpaid service charges by the existing leaseholder
• increasing ground rents
• leases with fewer than 80 years to run

A expert conveyancing solicitor in Halesowen will consider possible leasehold issues, e.g. reserve funds, annual statements of account and budgets for service charges and understanding regional and era-specific nuances of leases.

Ensure that you are fully-informed regarding your planned purchase with Quittance Conveyancing's team of leasehold conveyancing solicitors.

Buying a 'New Build' property in Halesowen?

Based on Land Registry information, 25 new build houses and flats were purchased in Halesowen last year. The average cost of new build properties in Halesowen is £204,648.

A new-build conveyancing solicitor in Halesowen will need to be familiar with both local Halesowen factors as well as the specific issues associated with new build, such as investigating developer incentives and administering Help to Buy purchases.

Our expert new build team provide an impartial view of the property's legal status, scrutinising contract considerations ranging from the home's subsequent mortgageability to possible freehold acquisition traps.

West Midlands Conservation areas

Whether you are a fan of Edwardian, Victorian or Tudor-style architecture, purchasing property in a conservation area should mean that the street's character will not drastically alter. However, conservation area conditions will affect your house.

Called Article 4 directions, these constraints may include restrictions on the removal of front boundary walls, general restrictions governing non-uniform additions or modifications or restrictions on extensions normally within Permitted Development rights.

If a property is in breach, the local authority could order you (as the new owner) to pay for returning the property to a compliant state, even if the previous owner was responsible for the changes.

Your Quittance conveyancing solicitor will confirm if the property you are purchasing is located in a conservation area in Halesowen.