We are getting a further advance on our home loan from Kent Reliance as we want to carry out improvements to our house in Suffolk. Are we obliged to appoint a high street Suffolk solicitor on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel to handle the legals?
Kent Reliance do not ordinarily instruct firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Kent Reliance panel.
I have paid off my mortgage with Aldermore. I assume I don't need a Suffolk conveyancing practitioner on the Aldermore panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Aldermore mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Aldermore mortgage from the register. Aldermore, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Aldermore has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Aldermore has instructed the Land Registry to do so
Having read lots of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Suffolk solicitor - who is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Leeds Building Society will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Leeds Building Society will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Suffolk postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Leeds Building Society, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Suffolk.
What does a local search inform me regarding the house we're purchasing in Suffolk?
Suffolk conveyancing often starts with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search organisations for example Onsearch The local search is essential in every Suffolk conveyancing purchase; that is if you don’t want any unpleasant surprises after you move into your property. The search will provide data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen topic areas.
I have a semi-detached Georgian house in Suffolk. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Barclays . I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same property. Is it worth asking Barclays to clarify?
You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Suffolk and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also enquire as to the situation with the conveyancing solicitor who conducted the work.
I am looking to sell my home. My past conveyancers has retired. It would be helpful to have a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. Im based in Suffolk if that makes a difference.
Please use our search tool to help you find a solicitor for your conveyancing in Suffolk. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with regulated solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move goes with a minimum of fuss.
Am I best advised to go with a Suffolk conveyancing solicitor who is local to the property I am purchasing? An old friend can conduct the legal formalities however his firm is located over three hundred miles drive away.
The primary upside of using a local Suffolk conveyancing firm is that you can visit the firm to execute documents, hand in your ID and pester them if necessary. Having local Suffolk know how is a plus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If you know people who instructed your friend and the majority were impressed that must surpass using an unknown Suffolk conveyancing lawyer just because they are local.
I today plan to offer on a house that appears to be perfect, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have since discovered that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Suffolk. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?
The majority of houses in Suffolk are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Suffolk in which case you should be shopping around for a Suffolk conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your solicitor will report to you on the legal implications.