I was advised yesterday by my estate agent that my Grasmere solicitor is not on the bank Solicitor panel. What can I do to check?
You need to call your Grasmere conveyancer. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they may be able to suggest a Grasmere conveyancing practice that is on the approved list of lawyers for your bank.
I am need of leasehold conveyancing for a flat in a fairly new development (five years built) in Grasmere. Almost all the appartments have already been sold. Do I need carry out the neighbourhood searches as part of conveyancing in Grasmere?
If you are purchasing a property with the assistance of a loan, your bank will require some (many) of the searches so you'll have no choice. If not, then Grasmere conveyancing searches are optional. Your lawyer, will ’encourage’, perhaps strongly, that you should not go ahead without searches, but he or she has a professional duty to do this. One thing to bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future buyer what the searches contain. Sometimes houses with no practical issues can still throw up adverse search results. But if you demand that your lawyer to proceed without searches then your lawyer will have to follow your instructions or ask you to appoint a different lawyer for your conveyancing in Grasmere.
I am about to put an offer on a leasehold property in Grasmere. The estate agents say that it is normal for flats in Grasmere to have less than 75 years remaining. I am getting a mortgage with Chelsea Building Society. Is this going to be a problem if the lease has Seventy One years remaining.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Chelsea Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 17/3/2025 the requirements read as follows :
My wife and I are buying a flat in Grasmere. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a conveyancer? At some point we will need to put our life savings into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our money?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
Is it correct that all Grasmere CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel?
It is true that some banks and building societies now make use of the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
Does a directory service exist listing Barclays panel solicitors in Grasmere on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?
Unfortunately not yet. There is no such directory service on the CML or Building Society Association websites. A small selection of mortgage companies make their panel listings visible on the web. Where you are looking for a Grasmere property lawyer on the Barclays please use our tool.
I used Stirling Law a few years ago for my conveyancing in Grasmere. I now require my file but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Grasmere of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Grasmere I like with a park and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 61 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Grasmere suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?
If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be an issue. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises 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 about this matter.