I am buying a property without a mortgage in Havering. I have been living for the last 15 years in Havering. Conveyancing searches are expensive. Given that I have knowledge of the area and road intimately must I have all the conveyancing searches?
Provided that you do not need a home loan, then almost all of the Havering conveyancing searches are optional. Your lawyer will ’encourage you, no-doubt strongly, that you should have searches completed, but he is duty bound to do this. Do bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house in the future, it will likely be be of relevance to your future buyer what the searches reveal. There are plenty of instances where properties with no practical issues can still show up detrimental search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Havering should provide you some practical guidance in this regard.
When it comes to lenders such as Lloyds, do Havering conveyancers have to pay a yearly amount to be on the conveyancing panel?
We are not aware of any lender fees to register on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.
I've digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Havering solicitor - who is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Bank of Ireland will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Bank of Ireland will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your conveyancer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Havering postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Havering.
After what feels like an age I have had an offer on a flat in Havering agreed to, but there is a chain. The sellers have offered on a property, however it’s not yet agreed to, and are looking at other properties booked. I have chosen a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Havering. What should be my next step? At what stage do I apply for the mortgage with Virgin Money?
It is understandable to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs too early (home loan application is in the region of £1k, then survey, Havering conveyancing search costs, etc). The first course of action is to check that your lawyer is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Regarding the next steps this very much dictated by the circumstances of your transaction, motivation for this property and on the state of the market. During a buoyant market the majority of home buyers will apply for the mortgage with Virgin Money and arrange for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they ask their conveyancer to proceed with searches.
Do commercial conveyancing searches reveal proposed roadworks that could affect a commercial site in Havering?
Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Havering will perform a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers spend in investigating accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Havering. The report provides definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Havering.
For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Havering it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately could result in delays to Havering commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not carried out for domestic conveyancing in Havering.
The deeds to my home can not be found. The solicitors who did the conveyancing in Havering 10 years ago are no longer around. What are my next steps?
You no longer need to hold title original deeds to establish that you are the registered proprietor of land or premises, as the Land Registry have everything they need in a digital format.
How does conveyancing in Havering differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Havering contact us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is ready to move into. This is because new home sellers in Havering typically purchase 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 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 Havering or who has acted in the same development.
What does commercial conveyancing in Havering cover?
Non domestic conveyancing in Havering incorporates a wide range of guidance, given by regulated solicitors, relating to business premises. By way of example, this area of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more usually, the assignment of existing leases or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial mortgages and the termination of tenancies.