Property Lawyer

One of the best ways to find a suitable property lawyer is through a personal recommendation, so ask friends and family who have bought a property in the area or the estate agent or mortgage broker. Apart from the conveyancing work there is also the lender's legal work to be done. Your lawyer could act for the lender, which should save you money. The principal task is to draw up a mortgage deed, which sets out the conditions of your loan. The lender will hold this and the title deeds of your property until the loan is paid in full.

Fees for conveyancing work vary, so it's a good idea to obtain at least three quotes from different companies. Make sure that you know what costs the quote includes. You will usually be charged for the property lawyer's time, phone calls, letters and faxes and their indemnity fee. They may state that if any unforeseen problems arise these will be dealt with through an extra charge.

For a property costing Ł100,000, you should expect to pay about Ł550 in fees. However, the cost will also depend on whether your property is leasehold or freehold. Leasehold properties will cost more as they involve additional work checking the lease.

It's estimated that on average only 20% of all homebuyers commission a professional survey. This is somewhat surprising considering that buying a property is probably the biggest purchase in most people's lives. One explanation for this low take up, is that many homebuyers believe the mortgage lender's survey is sufficient. In fact, the lender's survey is simply a mortgage valuation, a property inspection to establish the amount and terms of the loan. This survey will not tell you if the property is worth the price you're paying for it, nor point out any structural defects. To obtain this vitally important information you'll need to get a professional opinion by commissioning a chartered surveyor before you sign any contracts.

There are two main types of survey - the 'Homebuyer's Report' and the 'Building Survey'.

Homebuyer's report
This type of survey is designed to keep costs to a minimum and is likely to be the best choice if the property you are buying is conventional in type and construction, is apparently in reasonable condition and built within the last 30 years. The survey focuses on defects and problems that are urgent and likely to have an effect on value. According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the main objectives of the Homebuyer's report are to:

Make a reasoned and informed judgement on whether or not to proceed with the purchase.

Assess whether or not the property is a reasonable purchase at the agreed price.

Make clear what decisions and actions should be taken before contracts are exchanged.

Building survey
This type of survey is suitable for all residential properties and provides a full picture of the property's construction and condition. Because the level of detail is higher than the Homebuyer's Report, a Building Survey is more expensive. This type of survey is required when a property is of an unusual construction or has had extensive alterations, if it's old, in need of serious structural repair or if you're planning a major conversion or renovation. The cost of this survey is from Ł400 upwards and will usually take one to two days to complete. You can expect the final report within three working weeks of the original survey.

Finally a good place to look for the property lawyer exactly for your circumstances and needs is TakeLegalAdvice.com, it's independent and free to use and finds suitable property lawyers within 48 hours complete with costs and lawyer comments on how they would approach your case and the next steps.