My wife and I are purchasing property in Dunstable. My property lawyer has never been on on the lender conveyancing list. Is it possible for me to retain my Dunstable conveyancing solicitor even though they are excluded from the mortgage company panel?
You have a couple of choices open to you here
- Carry on with your preferred Dunstable lawyer but your lender will undoubtedly retain a property lawyer from their approved panel. The net result is additional cost and likely frustration.
- Get a new conveyancing practitioner to conduct the conveyancing, obviously checking they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
- Convince your conveyancer to seek to join the bank panel
Please help. My Dunstable conveyancer is assuring me that she is duty bound toorder Dunstable conveyancing searches becausethe firm are on the Virgin Moneyconveyancing panel. Is my lawyer correct?
Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. Given that you are taking out a loan with a mortgage company your property lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your conveyancer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook provisions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Dunstable conveyancing searches.
Do lenders provide you with an approved list of Dunstable conveyancing solicitors? How do you know who is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel?
Dunstable conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Yorkshire BS directly.
This question may be naive but I am unseasoned as a first time buyer of a garden flat in Dunstable. Do I receive the keys to the property on completion from my lawyer? If this is the case, I will use a local conveyancing solicitor in Dunstable?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will transfer the purchase money to the owner’s conveyancers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you will be able to pick up the keys from the selling Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this occurs between 1 and 3pm.
We are aiming to move house in September. Does my conveyancing solicitor update the removal company on the day of completion. Incidentally, can you suggest a removal company in Dunstable. Conveyancing solicitor was chosen before I stumbled across your site.
On the day of completion you will need to pick up the keys from the estate agent but this should only happen once the vendors conveyancers inform the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be released. You should tell the removal company that you are ready to move in. As a matter of policy we do not recommend a specific removal company but can help you find a residential property solicitor in Dunstable or a legal practice with expertise in conveyancing in Dunstable.
We had instructed conveyancers with offices in Dunstable on the Barclays solicitor approved list. They have just invoiced me a further sum for dealing with the Barclays mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Barclays?
Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your conveyancer may levy a fee for this. This charge is not set by Barclays but by your Dunstable property lawyer. Some firms on the Barclays panel will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee but plenty of firms incorporate it on their overall fee.
Various online forums that I have frequented warn that are the main cause of hinderance in Dunstable conveyancing transactions. Is this right?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the most frequent causes of hindrances during the legal transfer of property. Searches are unlikely to be the root cause of delay in conveyancing in Dunstable.
I today plan to offer on a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Dunstable. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Dunstable ?
The majority of houses in Dunstable are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area who can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Dunstable so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Dunstable conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.
Dunstable Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing
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What prohibitions are there in the Dunstable Lease? How is the lease structured?