I require conveyancing for a flat in a relatively new development (five years old) in Barnet. Almost all the properties have already been disposed of. Do I need carry out the conveyancing searches for my conveyancing in Barnet?
A big part of the Barnet conveyancing process is the conveyancing searches. There are a large number of companies delivering Barnet conveyancing searches, as well straight from the local authority. These are usually referred to as personal search providers and they produce, not surprisingly, personal searches. However, all Local Authority Search conveyancing products have one thing in common - they must secure their information from the local authority.
Forgive me if this question is silly but I am unseasoned as a first time purchaser of a two bedroom flat in Barnet. Do I receive the keys to the property on the completion date from my solicitor? If this is the case, I will appoint a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Barnet?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will electronically transfer the purchase money to the owner’s lawyers, and once they have received this, you will be able to collect the keys from the selling Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this happens between 1 and 3pm.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Barnet off the council. I have a mortgage offer with UBS. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with UBS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the UBS conveyancing panel.
I have finally had an offer on a maisonette in Barnet agreed to, but there is a chain. The vendors have offered on on an apartment, but it’s not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other flats in the pipeline. I have selected a high street conveyancing solicitor in Barnet. What should be my next step? When should I get the mortgage application with Leeds Building Society going?
It is normal to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses prematurely (home loan application is approx £1k, then survey, Barnet conveyancing search fees, etc). The first course of action is to check that your conveyancer is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Concerning the subsequent phase this very much depends on the circumstances of your transaction, attraction to the property and on the state of the market. During a rising market many buyers will apply for the mortgage with Leeds Building Society and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their conveyancing practitioner to press on with the conveyancing in Barnet.
Me and my brother own a terraced Georgian property in Barnet. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Bank of Scotland. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the matching address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for 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 Barnet and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also check the situation with the conveyancing lawyer who carried out the work.
I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Barnet I like with amenity areas and station nearby, the downside is that it only has 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Barnet for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?
If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you could request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.
My husband and I are 14 days into a residential purchase having been referred to solicitors by the estate agent to execute conveyancing in Barnet. I am not happy. Can you you assist me in finding new solicitors?
They would have to be very poor in order to consider changing them. Has your mortgage been issued? If so you will need to make them aware of the new contact details and get the loan are issued to the new lawyers. The solicitor ideally should be on the banks panel to avoid added expenses and frustration. That should be your first question of the new lawyers. The find a solicitor tool will assist you in finding a lender approved lawyer for your home move in Barnet
Our financial adviser has recommended their conveyancer for the conveyancing in Barnet - won’t it be better to just instruct them?
This is not necessarily the case and you are at liberty to opt for whichever solicitor you decide for your Barnet conveyancing. The lawyer put forward by a 3rd party adviser may not always be the right solicitor, they may suggest their preferred conveyancing firm who are based remotely. In this instance you may not have contact with your conveyancer and due to the lack of continuity in the transaction, it may be difficult to obtain updates.