My partner and I are looking to purchase a property in Chantry and are in fact using a Chantry conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Britannia have this morning contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our Chantry conveyancer is not on their approved list of lawyers. What do we do from here?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Chantry solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Chantry what would it be?
We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Chantry conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of time.
Forgive me if this question is silly but I am unseasoned as a 1st time purchaser of a ground floor flat in Chantry. Do I collect the keys to the property on the completion date from my lawyer? If this is the case, I will appoint a local conveyancing solicitor in Chantry?
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 conveyancers, and once they have received this, you will be called to receive the keys from the property Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this happens early afternoon.
The mortgage over my property is with Barclays for my property in Chantry. Conveyancing has been completed a year ago. In the event that I decide to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Barclays?
You must advise Barclays before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Barclays’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Barclays directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Barclays conveyancing panel lawyer.
My partner and I are intent on selling our property in Chantry and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was constructed land that was not decontaminated. Any local lawyer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the purchasers are using a nationwide conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Chantry. Having lived in Chantry for six years we know of no issue. Should we contact our local Authority to seek clarification need.
It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm already. What do they say? You must check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same ailment)
How does conveyancing in Chantry differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Chantry approach us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is built. This is because house builders in Chantry typically 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Chantry or who has acted in the same development.
Is it best to choose a Chantry conveyancing lawyer in close proximity to the house I am buying? We have a good friend who can handle the legal work but they are based 400miles away.
The primary upside of using a high street Chantry conveyancing practice is that you can drop in to sign paperwork, deliver your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local knowledge which is a plus. That being said it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust instructed your friend and they were impressed that must outweigh using an unknown Chantry conveyancing solicitor just because they are based in the area.
Me and mypartner and I are searching for a quality conveyancing lawyer in Chantry to assist me in selling my apartment. I really don't want to get ripped off and there are lots of Chantry conveyancing firms to choose from...who do I opt for?
The best tip when choosing a Chantry conveyancer is seek recommendations from family or trusted professionals. You are sure to know someone who has used a conveyancing solicitor in the past. Feel free to utilise our comparison tool for Chantry conveyancing quotes