I am in a contract race with another buyer for a property in Brompton. What can be done to accelerate the conveyancing process?
First, If you are under pressure for your conveyancing it is highly recommended that your solicitor is familiar with the location as they will have local connections and insight. It is possible that they would have handled otherhouses in the same neighbourhood. Therefore consider using a Brompton conveyancing firm. Second, ensure that the conveyancing firm is on the member panel. It is believed that 18% of Brompton conveyancing deals are held up or jeopardised after discovering a purchaser’s conveyancer was not on their mortgage lender’s panel. In many cases this discovery resulted in the home move being frustrated by as much as three weeks. It is understood that this issue impacts in the region of one hundred thousand home moves every year. Many Brompton conveyancing firms can not represent certain mortgage companies so do check as early as possible.
This question may be naive but I am new to the home buying as a first time purchaser of a garden flat in Brompton. Do I pick up the keys to the premises on completion from my conveyancer? If so, I will appoint a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Brompton?
On the day of completion you will not be required to attend the conveyancers office in Brompton. Your solicitors will transfer the purchase money to the owner’s solicitors, and once they have received this, you will be able to pick up the keys from the property Agents and move into your new home. Usually this happens between 1 and 3pm.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Leeds Building Society. I assume I don't need a Brompton conveyancing practitioner on the Leeds Building Society panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Leeds Building Society 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 Leeds Building Society mortgage from the register. Leeds Building Society, 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 Leeds Building Society has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Leeds Building Society has instructed the Land Registry to do so
Having digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Brompton 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 property 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 Brompton 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 Brompton.
What does a local search reveal concerning the property my wife and I purchasing in Brompton?
Brompton conveyancing often starts with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search company such as Xpress Legal The local search plays an important role in many a Brompton conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any nasty once you have moved into your new home. The search should supply data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the property (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 subject headings.
How does conveyancing in Brompton differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Brompton approach us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is constructed. This is because builders in Brompton tend to purchase 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 conveyancers 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 Brompton or who has acted in the same development.
I'm refinancing my primary property to a BTL loan with Chelsea Building Society and I will use the rest of the raised equity towards a second house. The location we are looking at is Brompton. Will your conveyancers be able to act for both sets of lenders and tie in the conveyances?
Make use of our search tool on this site to ensure that the lawyers are approved by both mortgage companies. On the basis that they are the lawyer should be able to simultaneously deal with the two transactions but you should talk with you conveyancer and communicate your desired outcome and needs.
A licensed conveyancer acted on my conveyancing in Brompton half a dozen years past having archived my deeds but has since been shut down – What steps do I now take to retreive them?
Deeds, as such, are no longer appropriate for the majority of properties in Brompton are archived electronically at Land Registry. Where you need to show ownership or are disposing of or refinancing your conveyancer will need to obtain up to date copies of the register from the Land Registry in any case.
If you feel there may be other documents or you have any other queries please e-mail your request with details of the transaction and documents you need to filerequest@clc-uk.org. The CLC will let you know what information they have and any additional information they may need before they are in a position to identify and send the documents to you. Following an intervention it may take some time for the CLC to access archived files and documents, but your request will be actioned with reasonable haste.