Is the fact that my conveyancer in Diss is not on my lender's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of the firm’s conveyancing?
That would most likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Diss conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.
I am purchasing a property mortgage free in Diss. I have resided for the last twelve years in Diss. Conveyancing searches are a lot of money. As I know the road and vicinity intimately should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?
In the absence of a mortgage, then almost all of the Diss conveyancing searches are optional. Your lawyer will ’encourage you, perhaps strongly, that you should have searches completed, but he has a professional duty to take that path of advice. One thing to consider; if you are going to dispose of the house one day, it could be of importance to your prospective purchaser what the searches disclose. On occasion houses with functional issues can still reveal adverse search results. A competent conveyancing solicitor in Diss will provide you some sensible guidance in this regard.
It is a dozen years since I acquired my house in Diss. Conveyancing solicitors have recently been appointed on the sale but I am unable to find the deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?
Don’t worry too much. Firstly the deeds may be with the mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the lawyers who acted in the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Diss involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.
I am looking for a flat up to £305k and identified one near me in Diss I like with a park and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 52 years on the lease. There is not much else in Diss suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?
Should you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you can ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this.
Is it best to go with a Diss conveyancing solicitor based in the area that I am purchasing? An old friend can perform the legal formalities but they are based approximately 350miles drive away.
The benefit of a high street Diss conveyancing firm is that you can visit the firm to sign paperwork, present your ID and pester them if necessary. They will also have local insight which is a plus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have used your friend and the majority were content that should surpass using an unfamiliar Diss conveyancing lawyer just because they are local.
Builders have recommended to me a lawyer and I've sought a quote from them. They are nearly £400 less expensive than my own Diss lawyer. Should I use them?
Housebuilders frequently have panels of conveyancers who expedite matters and who know the builder's paperwork and property lawyer. As many developers offer an inducement to use their approved property lawyer for this reason, any increased cost can be avoided and a builder won't suggest a conveyancing factory and run the risk of having the conveyancing delayed when they want exchange within a tight deadline. The argument for not opting for the recommended lawyer is that they may be reluctant to fight for your interests for fear of upsetting the sellers. Where you have concerns that this may be the situation you should stick with your local Diss conveyancer.