My partner and I are buying a new build duplex in Cullompton and my solicitor is informing me that she has to the mortgage company to reveal incentives from the developer. I am nearing the developer’s deadline to sign contracts and I don't want to prolong deal. Is my lawyer right?
You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your conveyancer. A precondition to being on a mortgage company panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
Do I need to visit the offices of the solicitor to sign the legal charge? If so, I will choose one who does conveyancing in Cullompton so that I can pop in to their offices when needed.
These days conveyancing panel lawyers for banks conduct the vast majority of communications via Royal Mail, internet or over phone calls. This enables them to undertake the legal work for your home move regardless of where you live in the country. That being said you should check if you have the option of going to the offices of your conveyancing lawyer if needed.
This question may be naive but I am unseasoned as a 1st time buyer of a two bedroom flat in Cullompton. Do I receive the keys to the property on completion from my lawyer? If this is the case, I will appoint a local conveyancing solicitor in Cullompton?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will arrange to send the purchase money to the owner’s lawyers, and once they have received this, you will be called to receive the keys from the selling Agents and move into your new home. Usually this occurs early afternoon.
It is unclear whether my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Cullompton building society branch on a couple of occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they will lend. My Cullompton conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called and was told they would not lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?
Your conveyancer has to comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 provisions for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.
My offer was accepted on an apartment in Cullompton on 27/2/2025, valuation was booked five days later, all came back fine. Solicitor appointed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to TSB and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the TSB conveyancing panel. Are TSB entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for TSB to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the TSB conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
We are buying a property and the conveyancer has identified Chancel Repair to which the house may be obligated to pay given it’s proximity to the area of such a church. He has mentioned insurance. Is this strictly appropriate for conveyancing in Cullompton
Unless a prior acquisition of the premises took place after 12 October 2013 you may take it that lawyers handling conveyancing in Cullompton to continue to suggest a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
Should I appoint a Cullompton conveyancing lawyer in close proximity to the house I am buying? I have an old university friend who can carry out the legal work but his firm is located 400miles away.
The primary upside of using a local Cullompton conveyancing firm is that you can pop in to sign paperwork, deliver your ID and pester them if necessary. Having local Cullompton know how is a plus. However it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have used your friend and the majority were happy that should outweigh using an unfamiliar Cullompton conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being round the corner.
Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Cullompton with the purpose of speeding up the sale process?
- Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Cullompton can be avoided where you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers’ lawyers. You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to verify this via your solicitors. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the remaining number of years is below 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Cullompton leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord approving such works. If you fail to have the approvals in place you should not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor before hand. If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Obtaining a duplicate share certificate can be a lengthy process and frustrates many a Cullompton home move. If a reissued share is required, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible. If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as over as opposed to unsettled.
Cullompton Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries before Purchasing
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Is there a share of the freehold? How much is the ground rent and service charge? How long is the Lease?