Conveyancing in Barnsley Q & As

Transport and public service information if you’re buying or selling residential property in Barnsley

• By road: Barnsley is served by the M1 and A628.
• By rail: The nearest train station is Barnsley Interchange.
• By air: Leeds Bradford Airport is 31 miles and Doncaster Sheffield Airport 33 miles from Barnsley.
• Hospital: Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Gawber Road, Barnsley, S75 2EP.
• Council: Barnsley Council (www.barnsley.gov.uk).
• Attractions: Monk Bretton Priory, Barnsley Main Colliery, Experience Barnsley Museum, Locke Park, and Dearne Valley Country Park.

Will we need a survey for our house purchase in Barnsley?

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, and Homeward Legal, thoroughly recommend that you order a house survey to be completed, if you are planning to purchase a property in Barnsley, or indeed in any other part of the UK. It is likely that there will be some issues with any property, but buyers should be aware that there are many concerns that could significantly impact a building (e.g. insect infestation or blocked drains). However, these will not be investigated or noted as part of the conveyancing process and will be picked up in a house survey.

Which mortgage lenders in Barnsley do you work with?

Most lenders in Barnsley are on our Barnsley solicitors' panel. Examples of local mortgage lenders and brokers that Homeward Legal work with regularly include:

• • Alliance & Leicester PLC, 18 Eldon Street, Barnsley, S70 2JB
• • Stepping Stones Mortgages, 45 Church Street, Gawber, Barnsley, S75 2RH
• • Mortgage Solutions (Barnsley) Ltd., 92 Wakefield Rd, Barnsley, S71 1NN.

I have heard that there is a risk of finding topsoil contamination in Barnsley, like copper? Is this true?

Metal contamination may have occurred throughout Barnsley, but if such contaminants could cause significant harm to people or any protected species, it is likely to be labelled as contaminated land. The local authority for Barnsley will be able to provide more detail on cases of contamination.

Doing my own conveyancing without instructing a solicitor appears quite attractive as a buyer and seller of a flat in Barnsley. However, would it really be a money-saving idea?

There is no stipulation to suggest that you can’t take on your own conveyancing work and complete the greater majority of the legal process for your Barnsley property without the involvement of a solicitor. In reality, however, do-it-yourself conveyancing would not be recommended by Homeward Legal. A solicitor handles several legal tasks (ranging from chasing replies from other solicitors involved in the chain to ensuring the property seller is the rightful owner), many of which are better done by a skilled professional. More importantly, amateur lawyers are not covered by acceptable professional indemnity insurance which qualified legal firms are legally obligated to obtain. Give us a call at Homeward Legal to discuss our fixed-fee conveyancing quote, reinforced with a ‘No Move, No Fee’ guarantee.

Unforeseen financial circumstances decree that we need to get going and exchange contracts on the sale of our Barnsley home within 5 weeks. Do Homeward Legal work with any fast conveyancing solicitors in Barnsley?

Homeward Legal has a highly active method to completing the conveyancing as rapidly as possible, using the latest integrated computer systems to assist in the process. Additionally, we always assign clients a dedicated lawyer incentivised to exert pressure with all parties in the property chain (e.g. estate agents and other solicitors) in order to achieve a fast move. Use our conveyancing quote calculator or give us a call on 0800 038 6699 to obtain a fixed-fee quote.

In respect of the serious flooding experienced in recent years in the Leeds area, we are questioning whether the depth of environmental searches are thorough enough for the purchase of our Barnsley house. Are we right to be concerned?

Flood searches will be carried out on your behalf by your solicitor for your Barnsley property as part of the environmental searches that are a standard element of the conveyancing process. If the results of the search show a significant risk with specific regards to flooding, a more in-depth Landmark flood search will be ordered to provide the necessary detail. You could also contact a future neighbour to get further insight into the likelihood of flooding. Or you could talk to a local South Yorkshire flood damage expert, such as Paul Winfield & Son Ltd., 53 Summer Lane, Barnsley, S70 2NW (Tel: 01226 297253).

How is stamp duty worked out in Barnsley? And what should we pay on a £774,000 property?

As with all areas of the country, the amount of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) you will owe is calculated based on the purchase price of your property. For the property bought for £774,000, the amount of SDLT will be £28,700 (information retrieved on 8 February 2017. The amount of SDLT owed may change with the government’s policies on the housing market, so you may be interested to refer to a calculator, like the one found at www.stampdutycalculator.org.uk.

How long on average will it take for our assigned Homeward Legal solicitor to exchange contracts for all of the conveyancing work on a flat in a period building we want to buy in Barnsley?

The legal process can be notoriously lengthy and can take anywhere from one month to 12 weeks, contingent on a variety of factors (such as the speed of the vendor's property solicitor’s communications, or the effort in managing agents). However, at Homeward Legal, our chosen lawyers are exceptionally focused on pushing transactions through with the intention of completing promptly in the swiftest time possible. Why not give us a call to discuss further and receive your fixed-fee quote.