At what point does exchange of contracts occur in sale conveyancing in Dunstable and am I required to be at the lawyers office?
Where you are round the corner to our conveyancing solicitors in Dunstable you are welcome to attend to sign the paperwork. However, the firms we recommend supply countrywide coverage for conveyancing and give just as diligent and professional a job for you when dealing with you digitally. The executing of the sale agreement is not the point of no return. Signing on the dotted line is necessary for the firm to officially exchange at the suitable time, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The exchange process is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a lengthy "chain" is in play, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Dunstable)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.
We are getting a further advance on our home loan from Co-operative as we intend to conduct alterations to our property in Dunstable. Are we obliged to select a bricks and mortar Dunstable solicitor on the Co-operative conveyancing panel to handle the legals?
Co-operative don't usually appoint a member of their approved list of lawyers to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Co-operative list.
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with HSBC. Dunstable conveyancing solicitors have been chosen. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from HSBC?
There is no definitive answer here. Have HSBC done the survey? Have you advised HSBC as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the HSBC conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.
I had an offer accepted on an apartment in Dunstable on 23/9/2025, valuation was booked 2 days after, received a clean bill of health. Property lawyer appointed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Lloyds and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Lloyds to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Should my conveyancer be raising enquiries regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Dunstable.
Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers specialising in conveyancing in Dunstable. There are those who buy a property in Dunstable, fully expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable insurance cover, or dispose of the property. Steps can be carried out during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.
Lawyers are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a numerous checks that may be undertaken by the purchaser or by their conveyancers which should give them a better understanding of the risks in Dunstable. The standard information sent to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a standard inquiry of the owner to find out if the premises has ever been flooded. In the event that the property has been flooded in past and is not revealed by the vendor, then a buyer may bring a claim for damages resulting from an incorrect response. The buyer’s solicitors may also order an enviro report. This should higlight whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional investigations should be initiated.
Me and my brother have a terraced Edwardian house in Dunstable. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Halifax. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Dunstable and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also check the position with the conveyancing solicitor who completed the work.
Just had an offer accepted on a new build apartment in Dunstable. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.
Set out below is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Dunstable
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Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents.
Our conveyancer in Dunstable has identified a defect with the lease for the flat we are purchasing in Dunstable. The other side have offered defective title insurance as a workaround. We are happy with insurance and will cover the costs. Our solicitor has advised that as he is on the lender conveyancing panel he must check that the lender is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the lender?
Just because you have a mortgage offer from the lender does not mean to say that the property will be meet their requirements for the purposes of a mortgage. Your Dunstable conveyancing lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Requirements. You and the mortgage company are the client. The appropriate lender requirements have to be complied with by the bank conveyancing panel who has to balance acting for you and the bank