I am purchasing a property for cash in Hawkhurst. I have been residing for the last dozen years in Hawkhurst. Conveyancing searches are a lot of money. Given that I know the road and vicinity very well must I have all the conveyancing searches?
If you not getting a home loan, then the vast majority of the Hawkhurst conveyancing searches are at your discretion. Your lawyer will ’encourage you, no-doubt strongly, that you should have searches carried out, but she is duty bound to do this. Do take into account; if you are likely to dispose of the house at a future date, it could be of relevance to your future purchaser what the searches disclose. There are plenty of instances where houses with day to day issues can still show up negative search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Hawkhurst should be able to give you some practical guidance in this regard.
We wanted to use a conveyancing solicitor in Hawkhurst for our house move. Our broker has since advised us that our bank Barclays Direct won't deal with them. Surely this is unduly restrictive?
Before the recession most mortgage companies had a different appetite for risk. Almost all Hawkhurst conveyancing firms would have been on many lender panels. The FSA in 2010 completed a thematic investigation into mortgage fraud which concluded: mortgage lenders should know the conveyancing solicitors dealt with. Consequently, mortgage companies are increasingly seeing more data from law firms relating to their operations and their employees and establishing certain criteria such a completing on a minimum amount of transactions. Many Hawkhurst conveyancing firms that have been excluded from lender panels have Unblemished track record, no complaints and no claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Hawkhurst is amongst the many locations where the conveyancers we recommend are members of the panel for Barclays Direct.
I used Action Conveyancing several years ago for my conveyancing in Hawkhurst. I now require my papers but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
You should 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 Hawkhurst 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.
How does conveyancing in Hawkhurst differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Hawkhurst contact us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is completed. This is because builders in Hawkhurst typically acquire 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 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 used to new build conveyancing in Hawkhurst or who has acted in the same development.
I am employed by a reputable estate agent office in Hawkhurst where we have experienced a few leasehold sales jeopardised due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received contradictory information from local Hawkhurst conveyancing firms. Could you shed some light as to whether the owner of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?
Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser need not have to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.
Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.
I purchased a 2 bed flat in Hawkhurst, conveyancing having been completed in 1999. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable flats in Hawkhurst with a long lease are worth £190,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2085
With only 62 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to range between £17,100 and £19,800 plus professional fees.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.
My sealed bid on semi in Hawkhurst has been accepted, but there is a chain. The sellers have offered on a flat, but it’s not yet agreed to, and has viewings of other apartments in the pipeline. I have chosen a local conveyancing solicitor in Hawkhurst. What do I do now? At what point do I apply for the mortgage with Virgin Money?
It is normal to have concerns where there is an associated chain given your reluctance to be too out of pocket prematurely (mortgage application is in the region of £1k, then survey, Hawkhurst conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you must check that your conveyancing practitioner is on the Virgin Money approved list. Concerning the subsequent steps this very much depends on the circumstances of your transaction, desire for this property and on the state of the market. During a hot market the majority of buyers would apply for the mortgage with Virgin Money and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their property lawyer to press on with the conveyancing in Hawkhurst.