Buying a house - how to check any legal issues?

illusionek

Hello

I am currently in the process of buying my very first house. I can see a lot of threads on this forum from people complaining about their solicitors screwing up or not doing paperwork.

I am approaching very fast exchange of contracts stage. I have pretty much no communication from my solicitor, she is never available to take the call and her emails say only as much as “please find attached”. She does not offer any comments on anything neither she highlights any areas of concern. So I am not sure if there are no issues at all or if she expects me to raise any concerns.

Therefore I would like to understand what I should be looking out for before exchange and then after completion.

I got results of Local Authority & Environmental Searches. They do not say there is any issues with anything but then how would I know if I do not know what to look for? I got the drainage & water enquiry but is even more confusing than the other two. I read it and again it looks fine but how do I know if I do not know what could cause issue in the future?

Also is there anything else that should be done or checked before I sign the contract? Before engaging with this solicitor I explained I am FTB, so I was hoping for at list some hand holding but it looks like I don’t get if I don’t ask. Worst thing is they are proper solicitors, not the cheapest one either so was hoping for a better service than if I was going with one of the online one.


Many thanks for help.

LandyAndy

Ask for an appointment to go in and see them and put your questions face to face.

davidmcn

Have you actually discussed your concerns with them? You are paying them for advice, not just to "do the paperwork" so they ought to be providing advice.

illusionek

Well, I did not say specifically I am not happy with their service as for better or worse I am stuck with them with this transaction.

However I constantly chase for updates and I constantly ask them to comment on what they send me and never get any. I even asked if there is anything they wait for from me and no response. Not really sure what to do at this stage.

davidmcn

It's easy to ignore emails. Talk to them on the phone.

Surrey_EA

In my experience most solicitors will prepare a report on the title of the property, and their associated investigations, and draw your attention to any issues they have discovered within the searches, the planning history and their inquiries with the other solicitor.

It may be that your solicitor has not got to this stage yet and a detailed report will be provided to you before you exchange contracts.

london.cidade

LandyAndy wrote: »

Ask for an appointment to go in and see them and put your questions face to face.

I've already asked a meeting to my EA. such an unresponsive guy. no response, or limited response to e-mails, mumbo jumbo on phone. face to face would be better.

Cakeguts

Qutie a lot of house transfers are very simple especially if the house is not that old and doesn't have any strange rights of access across the back garden.

Surrey_EA

london.cidade wrote: »

I've already asked a meeting to my EA. such an unresponsive guy. no response, or limited response to e-mails, mumbo jumbo on phone. face to face would be better.

Without meaning to derail this particular thread, are you not buying? Therefore the EA is acting on behalf of the seller, not you as the buyer. As your purchase has only just got underway, surely there can't be that many queries that have come up so far?

moneyistooshorttomention

I'm guessing OP wants a checklist of points to ask the solicitor?

So - my own thoughts would be, for instance:

- BOUNDARIES
Maybe with the way solicitors in this era don't go out inspecting properties - then perhaps go in with photos of what you assume/know to be the boundaries

- Has anyone else got any "rights" of any description over the property (either down in the Deeds/ or "prescriptive rights" they've got later). Even worth checking if any neighbours think they've got rights that aren't down there anywhere - but they've got used to trespassing and are hoping they can continue to do so.

- Is the house freehold okay?

- Are the roads standard ones okay (ie Council-maintained)?

- Are there any service charges?

- Have any neighbours got a bit of land/large garden they might decide to do a "garden grab" on and build some housing? - ie solicitor checking nearby properties for any evidence of that.

- Cross-questioning re neighbour disputes. Even if there arent running officially - is it just because the current owner just "rolls over like a !!!!!cat" and allows neighbours to get up to all sorts that most new owners wouldnt countenance.

Those are the first few coming to my mind. Other people may have others.

london.cidade

Surrey_EA wrote: »

Without meaning to derail this particular thread, are you not buying? Therefore the EA is acting on behalf of the seller, not you as the buyer. As your purchase has only just got underway, surely there can't be that many queries that have come up so far?

I've started my mortgage application, the bank asked about building insurance, no response from the EA.

The seller has put an offer on a house, the EA promised to inform me about the developments, yesterday.

According to my written offer, also verbally agreed during negotiations, after the offer has been accepted, the property immediately would be taken off the market, and sale agreed/sold board would go up in 48 hours. no response from the EA.

As you said, we are at the beginning, I don't wanna rush the things. But I'll pay the initial fee of solicitor soon as well as the booking fee and valuation fee for the mortgage. I don't wanna learn expensive lessons, trying to minimise the risk.

ps: sorry to OP. Although this is sort of communication problem related to the thread, not directly related to solicitors.