Why is leasehold purchase conveyancing in Higham Wood is more expensive?
Higham Wood leasehold properties involve far more paperwork than a freehold purchase, and therefore takes more time to examine and advise upon.Conveyancing will involve the lease having to be checked which is usually a lengthy document, queries raised to ensure that the covenants and conditions have been observed. If it is a flat there will be a management company in existence and the accounts of this will need to be checked and enquiries raised to ensure it is operating efficiently and that all monies due have been paid by the Seller to the company and if not ensuring that money is paid up to date or the appropriate undertakings obtained.
Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a online directory to list law firms on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel for example in Higham Wood?
We would not expect to be advised of any plans on the part of the BSA to develop such a search facility.
I have paid off my mortgage with Nationwide. I assume I don't need a Higham Wood lawyer on the Nationwide panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Nationwide 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 Nationwide mortgage from the register. Nationwide, 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 Nationwide has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Nationwide has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Higham Wood off the council. I have a mortgage offer with Bank of Ireland. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use 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 Bank of Ireland, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel.
I've read lots of house buying guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Higham Wood solicitor - who is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Coventry BS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Coventry BS 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. You may wish to consider appointing your own Higham Wood surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
Do I need to take out insurance to protect me from financial exposure to chancel repairs when buying a house in Higham Wood?
Unless a previous acquisition of the property took place after 12 October 2013 you could expect conveyancing practitioners carrying out conveyancing in Higham Wood to continue to suggest a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
The deeds to my house are lost. The solicitors who conducted the conveyancing in Higham Wood 5 years ago have long since closed. What are my next steps?
You no longer need to have the physical original deeds to prove you are the owner of your registered land or premises, as the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.
I am looking for a conveyancing lawyer in Higham Wood for my home move. Can I check a firm’s complaints history with the profession’s regulator?
Anyone may see documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For details about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors history, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For callers outside the UK, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA sometimes recorded call for training reasons.