Would the conveyancing solicitors that are recommend carry out auction conveyancing in Alston?
We know of a few auction practitioners we can connect you with those specialising in auction conveyancing. Alston is just one of hundreds of areas of where our lawyers are based.
When it comes to lenders such as Virgin Money, do Alston solicitors face an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are unaware of any bank fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.
I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Alston. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers. I paid an on account payment of £200. A couple of days later, the property lawyer called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the RBS conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the RBS panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
Having read lots of house buying guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Alston solicitor - who is on the RBS conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
RBS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually RBS 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 conveyancer 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 Alston postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with RBS, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Alston.
How does conveyancing in Alston differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Alston come to us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is completed. This is because developers in Alston tend to acquire the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Alston or who has acted in the same development.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a simple, chain free conveyancing. Alston is where the house is located. Is there any advice you can give?
Flying freeholds in Alston are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Alston you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Alston may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.
I've recently bought a leasehold house in Alston. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?
In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
Alston Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before buying
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How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? Is there a share of the freehold? What restrictions exist in the Alston Lease?
We have had DIP from Nationwide Building Society who have advised that they will loan up to £300k. At what point do I need to appoint a practitioner for conveyancing? Alston is where we are buying.
You can instruct a conveyancing practitioner now so that the property lawyer can open the ledger so they can commence their AML checks etc. As and when you wish them to start work you will be asked for a payment on account usually approximately £200. That should generally be once you have the loan offer from your lender and valuation back, but should you want to speed matters you can start the ball rolling sooner albeit risking some expense.