My partner’s brother is a property lawyer. I am hopeful that I will be offered mate’s rates for conveyancing, but if not, what kind of figure would I typically be looking at for conveyancing in Dolgellau?
It’s a good idea to look for two or three conveyancing estimates. Make use of our comparison tool on this site. Whilst quotes do be different but the service one can expect are distinct between property lawyers as is the case with most professions.
As a FTB what is the most important advice you can impart concerning purchase conveyancing in Dolgellau?
You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Dolgellau and elsewhere in England and Wales is often a confrontational process. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there exists lots of room for conflict between you and others involved in the ownership transfer. E.g., the vendor, selling agent and even potentially your bank. Choosing a solicitor for your conveyancing in Dolgellau is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE person in the process whose role it is to protect your best interests and to protect you.
Every so often a potential adversary may attempt to sway you that it is in your interests to do things their way. For example, the estate agent may claim to be helping by suggesting your conveyancer is wrong. Or your mortgage broker may advise you to do something that is against your solicitors guidance. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the home moving process.
Can you clarify what the consequences are if my lawyer’s firm is removed from the Nationwide Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Dolgellau?
First, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.
I had a mortgage agreed in principle with Coventry BS. Dolgellau conveyancing solicitors were selected. How long does it take for Coventry BS to send the offer to the conveyancer?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Coventry BS done the valuation? Have you advised Coventry BS as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.
We were going to get a DIP from TSB this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do TSB recommend any Dolgellau solicitors on the TSB conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Dolgellau solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the TSB conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and TSB through the process.
I'm at the point of viewing apartments in Dolgellau and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it advisable to have a lawyer on ‘stand by’? I intend to finance via a home loan with Virgin Money.
It would be advisable to instigate your search sooner rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the selling agent. As you are taking out a mortgage with Virgin Money, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
Me and my brother purchased a 4 bedroom Edwardian property in Dolgellau. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and HSBC Bank. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Dolgellau and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also check the position with the conveyancing solicitor who carried out the work.
I am looking for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and found one round the corner in Dolgellau I like with open areas and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 52 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Dolgellau for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?
If you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be an issue. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.