Are all Greater Manchester Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Kent Reliance conveyancing list of approved firms?
Some major lenders now utilise CQS as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation 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 solicitors wishing to remain on their approved list of firms.
We were going to get a OIP from Virgin Money this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Virgin Money recommend any Greater Manchester solicitors on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Greater Manchester solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Virgin Money through the process.
I have paid off my mortgage with Santander. I assume I don't need a Greater Manchester property lawyer on the Santander panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Santander mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Santander mortgage from the register. Santander, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Santander has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Santander has instructed the Land Registry to do so
Is it necessary to take out insurance to protect me from financial exposure to chancel repairs when acquiring a house in Greater Manchester?
Unless a previous acquisition of the premises took place post 12 October 2013 you could expect solicitors handling conveyancing in Greater Manchester to remain recommending a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
I used Arc property Solicitors several years ago for my conveyancing in Greater Manchester. I now require my file however the law firm has closed. What do I do?
Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate 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 Greater Manchester of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
How does conveyancing in Greater Manchester differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Greater Manchester approach us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is finished. This is because house builders in Greater Manchester typically buy the land, 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 property lawyers 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 used to new build conveyancing in Greater Manchester or who has acted in the same development.
I opted to have a survey done on a property in Greater Manchester ahead of instructing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. The surveyor has said that some banks will not give a mortgage on a flying freehold house.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different requirements for example to Nationwide. If you e-mail us we can look into this further via the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Greater Manchester. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Greater Manchester conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?
When appointing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Greater Manchester conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Greater Manchester conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be helpful:
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How many lease extensions has the firm conducted in Greater Manchester in the last 12 months? If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?
Greater Manchester Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing
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Where a Greater Manchester lease has no more than eighty years it will affect the value of the property. Check with your bank that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. A short lease means that you will almost definitely need a lease extension at some point and it is worth discovering what this would cost. Remember, in most cases you will be required to have been the owner of the premises for 24 months in order to be legally able to exercise a lease extension. Plenty Greater Manchester leasehold flats will have a service charge for the upkeep of the building set by the management company. If you buy the apartment you will have to pay this contribution, normally quarterly accross the year. This can vary from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common areas. There will also be a rentcharge to be met yearly, normally this is not a large amount, say around £25-£75 but you should to enquire it because occasionally it could be prohibitively expensive.