No Move, No Fee Windsor Conveyancing Solicitors

Conveyancing - Buying a property in Windsor

Purchase conveyancing will need the conveyancing solicitor in Windsor to consider a wide range of issues. Examples of such issues can range from a defective title (e.g. breached restrictive covenants) to the mortgageability of the property itself.

The buyer's lawyer will feed the results of their enquiries back to the purchaser and their lender, assist in resolving any issues and register the title in the new owner's name.

The following offers invaluable advice for people looking for conveyancing solicitors in Windsor for a purchase.

Your Windsor conveyancing solicitor must be lender-approved

Regardless of whether your mortgage is with a less common mortgage lender like GE Money Home Lending or a large lender such as the Co-operative Bank, before you choose a conveyancing solicitor in Windsor you need to check that they are on the panel of your lender.

Most mortgage lenders are only prepared to work with a selected list (known as a 'lender panel') of firms. If your conveyancer cannot act for your lender, the lender will require an alternative legal firm to act in their interests.

You will usually need to pay this substitute lawyer's costs, and weeks could be added to the conveyancing process.

Our conveyancing solicitors can carry out the legal work for all major and minor lenders.

Residential Property Searches (Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council)

Property searches are enquiries made of government bodies by Windsor conveyancing solicitors to provide information about the property being purchased. They include:

• Local Authority search - includes a list of planning decisions that could affect the property
• Drainage & Water search - identifies water mains and sewers. This search also addresses whether the maintenance for these is the owner's responsibility.
• Environmental search - identifies risks within 500 metres of the property, including flooding subsidence. The search will also reveal nearby landfill sites and contaminated land.
• Chancel repair liability - there is a risk that some Windsor properties owe a liability to the local parish to pay for church repairs. Insurance can be taken out to protect against this liability.

More pertinent searches, such as a tin mining search or an agricultural search, may also be advised depending on the contents of the standard searches.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has an approximate lead time of 4 weeks for Residential property searches. In these circumstances, faster personal searches will be recommended.

Ensuring planning permission is in place

The buyer's conveyancing solicitor will request official entries from HM Land Registry. This will help to highlight any issues. Examples of these include outbuildings lying outside the boundary or restrictive covenants governing the use of the property.

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council Tax

As a homeowner in Windsor, the applicable rate of council tax will vary depending on the value of the home (as assessed in 1991) and the number of people living in it. For example, a house in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead area in Band E would pay £1,558 per annum.

A conveyancing solicitor in Windsor will inform a buyer of the property's band once they have the Local Authority search results.

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 £1,169.

Other discounts and exemptions could also apply, for example a 10% discount for second homes or if the property is left empty by someone receiving medical treatment. The Valuation Office Agency calculate bandings for newly-built homes, and where the owner has requested a revaluation.

Can I challenge the council tax banding?

Owners can apply for their property to be reassessed, but the band could be revised up as well as down. To challenge your banding contact:

Valuation Office Agency
3rd Floor Aspect Gate 166 College Rd
Harrow
HA1 1BH

Stamp Duty on Windsor properties

The current Stamp Duty Land Tax threshold is £125,000 in England and Wales.

Quittance Conveyancing will complete the SDLT1 form for you at the point your purchase completes.

See examples for typical local properties:

Stamp duty relief for first-time buyers in Windsor

In 11/17, it was announced that first-time buyers would be exempt from paying stamp duty on properties below £300,000. Higher rates of stamp duty apply to buyers of second residential property in the form of a 3% SDLT surcharge. For example, if a homeowner bought a second home in Windsor for the average price of £568,912 the stamp duty would be £45,512.96.

Windsor conveyancing solicitors should ensure the right amount is calculated.

Buying a flat? Leasehold conveyancing in Windsor

Buying a leasehold property is not as simple as purchasing a freehold property. Numerous legal complications could be lying in wait for an uninformed purchaser, including spiralling ground rents and excessive freehold premiums.

If you are planning to purchase a leasehold home, a experienced conveyancing solicitor in Windsor will investigate aspects of the leasehold purchase, including :

• understanding regional and era-specific nuances of leases
• service charges, ground rents and buildings insurance arrangements
• dealing with freeholders
• sinking funds

Make sure that you are aware of all the potential issues and costs associated with the lease with our leasehold conveyancing solicitors.

Buying a 'New Build' property in Windsor?

According to data sourced by HMLR, the average cost of a new build home in Windsor is £577,500. 2 new build homes have been bought in Windsor in 2018 so far.

Acquiring a new build property requires more technical knowledge than 'standard conveyancing'. To prevent difficulties arising a Windsor conveyancing solicitor should be conscious of local considerations and should investigate several key issues, like handling reservation fees and spotting incomplete agreements for roads and sewers.

Our new build conveyancing team are experts in working to developer exchange timeframes and helping the buyer get the best possible purchase terms.

Berkshire Conservation areas

When acting for the purchaser of a property in Windsor, a conveyancing solicitor will confirm whether the residential property is in one of Windsor's conservation areas. If it is, the house could be affected by certain conditions. These conditions can include restrictions on the use of PVC windows, limits on the use of cladding or limitations on new outbuildings.

The local planning authority can order any non-compliant alterations to a property to be changed or removed.

Your conveyancing solicitor will address whether your planned purchase is located one of Windsor's conservation areas.

Conveyancing - Remortgaging a property in Windsor

Homeowners remortgage their home for a variety of reasons, such as extending the mortgage term, or getting on to a new fixed-rate deal. By far the most common reason, however, is to secure a preferential rate.

You should be able to enjoy a better rate earlier with a more efficient conveyancing solicitor in Windsor. With rate rises hard to predict, fast conveyancing can play a key role in securing the rate you want.

A property lawyer will represent both you and the mortgage provider to make sure the change of lender is recorded at the Land Registry and the lender's interests are protected.