My partner and I are only a couple days away from an exchange on a property in East Sussex and my parents have sent the 10% deposit to my conveyancing practitioner. I am now informed that as the deposit has been sent from someone other than me my lawyer needs to make a notification to my mortgage company. I am advised that, in also acting for the bank he must advise them that the balance of the purchase price is coming from anyone other than me. I informed the bank about my parents' contribution when I applied for the home loan, so is it really appropriate for him to raise this?
The lawyer is obliged to clarify with mortgage company to make sure that they understand that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own funds. The solicitor can only disclose this to your lender if you agree, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.
Is it necessary during the course of the conveyancing process to pop into the offices of the solicitor to sign the legal charge? If so, I will instruct a firm who offer conveyancing in East Sussex so that I can pop in to their offices if necessary.
As opposed to ten years ago, the vast majority banks no longer need their conveyancing panel lawyer to witness the borrowers signature. It will still be necessary for you to provide ID documents and there are still manifest advantages to using a locally based practitioner, in your situation a conveyancing solicitor in East Sussex.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in East Sussex off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with UBS. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with UBS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the UBS conveyancing panel.
Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in East Sussex. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
Most banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.
I have finally had an offer on a maisonette in East Sussex agreed to, the sellers do however have an associated purchase. The owners have offered on on an apartment, but it’s not yet agreed to, and are looking at other flats booked. I have chosen a high street conveyancing solicitor in East Sussex. What should be my next step? At what stage do I apply for the mortgage with Nationwide?
It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (home loan application is in the region of one thousand pounds, then survey, East Sussex conveyancing search charges, etc). The first course of action is to check that your solicitor is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. Concerning the next stages this very much depends on the uniqueness of your transaction, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a rising market many purchasers would apply for the mortgage with Nationwide and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their solicitor to move forward with the conveyancing in East Sussex.
How does conveyancing in East Sussex differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in East Sussex contact us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is constructed. This is because builders in East Sussex tend to buy the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in East Sussex or who has acted in the same development.
I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one near me in East Sussex I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, however it's only got 61 years on the lease. There is not much else in East Sussex suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?
If you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be problematic. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.
I am using a search engine for the words conveyancing in East Sussex it brings up numerous property lawyersin the area. How do I determine which is the right solicitor for me?
The ideal way of finding a suitable conveyancer is via personal referral, so ask colleagues and family who have bought a property in East Sussex or a local estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in East Sussex differ, so it's sensible to secure at least four estimates from varying types of conveyancers. Dont forget to clarify that the fees are fixed.