We are about to exchange contracts for a property in Hitchin. We have hit a stumbling block. The mortgage offer with HSBC Bank runs out on 11/9/2025 but the sellers are suggesting a completion date of 15/9/2025. Can one extend the mortgage offer?
The best person to address this question is your conveyancer who will assess if he or she is better off negotiating with the mortgage broker, seller’s representatives, property agents or possibly all parties based on the history of your conveyancing as of today.
Have just purchased a probate house at auction in Hitchin. Conveyancing is needed. What is next?
Given that you are now legally bound yourself to purchase you should appoint a conveyancing lawyer quickly as you now have a tight a drop dead date to complete the deal. All auction property should have an associated legal pack. This will include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. If you have purchased leasehold property the auction papers may contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing paperwork pertinent to leasehold premises. You need to give this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor ASAP. You also need to ensure that that you have the requisite funding in order to complete on the date specified in the contract.
Forgive me if this question is silly but I am wet behind the ears as a 1st time buyer of a ground floor flat in Hitchin. Do I pick up the keys to the house on completion from my lawyer? If this is the case, I will use a local conveyancing solicitor in Hitchin?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will electronically transfer the completion advance to the vendor’s conveyancers, and once they have received this, you will be called to receive the keys from the property Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen early afternoon.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Bank of Ireland. I assume I don't need a Hitchin conveyancer on the Bank of Ireland panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Bank of Ireland 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 Bank of Ireland mortgage from the register. Bank of Ireland, 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 Bank of Ireland has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Bank of Ireland has instructed the Land Registry to do so
Should my solicitor be raising enquiries about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Hitchin.
Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers specialising in conveyancing in Hitchin. There are those who purchase a property in Hitchin, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.
Conveyancers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a various searches that can be initiated by the purchaser or by their lawyers which will give them a better appreciation of the risks in Hitchin. The conventional set of property information forms supplied to a buyer’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a usual inquiry of the seller to find out if the property has historically flooded. In the event that the premises has been flooded in past which is not revealed by the seller, then a purchaser could bring a claim for damages resulting from an misleading reply. The buyer’s solicitors may also carry out an environmental search. This should disclose whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further investigations will need to be made.
I have todaybecome aware that Stirling Law have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Hitchin for a purchase of a leasehold apartment 18 months ago. How can I be sure that the property is in my name in the name of the former proprietor?
The easiest method to see if the premises is in your name, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Hitchin conveyancing specialists.
Are there any apps to help identify a Hitchin solicitor on the The Mortgage Works conveyancing panel? I am a keen cyclist and am happy to travel upto 20kilometers to meet the lawyer.
Feel free to make use of the tool on this website. Please pick a lender and your location and you will see a number of Hitchin conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have listed some Hitchin conveyancing firms at the bottom of this page and you can call them to verify if they are on the The Mortgage Works panel
Is it true that a Hitchin conveyancing solicitor has court proceedings brought against them by clients for failing to conduct the appropriate conveyancing searches?
We are not aware of such a Hitchin conveyancing matter but it has been reported that, a couple acquiring a house in Cumbria successfully sued their lawyer due to development permission to erect a wind farm failing to be picked up in conveyancing searches.
If you are buying in Hitchin It is important that your solicitor carry out all Hitchin conveyancing searches needed making sure that you have accurate and up to date information before buying a property.