My fiance and I are looking to buy a property in Hitchin and have instructed a Hitchin conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our solicitor has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Alliance & Leicester have this evening contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Hitchin conveyancer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Is this a problem?
When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is standard for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the bank's conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Hitchin lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
My Solicitor in Hitchin is not listed on the Barclays Direct Solicitor Panel. Can I still retain my family solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the Barclays Direct list of approved lawyers?
Your options are as follows:
- Complete the purchase with your preferred Hitchin solicitors but Barclays Direct will need to retain a conveyancer on their panel. This will result in additional overall conveyancing charges as well as cause delays.
- Choose a new lawyer to act in the conveyancing, not forgetting to check they are on the Barclays Direct panel
What is your number one tip for finding a conveyancing solicitor in Hitchin
It would be unwise to be tempted by the lowest Hitchin conveyancing fees. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.
We are aiming to move house in March. Does my conveyancing solicitor liaise with the removal company on the day of completion. Incidentally, can you suggest a removal company in Hitchin. Conveyancing firm was found before I stumbled across your page.
On the day of completion you can pick up the keys from the selling agent but this can only happen after the previous owners lawyers advise the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be handed over. You can tell the removal company that you are ready to move in. As a matter of policy we do not recommend a particular removal company but can help you choose a conveyancing in Hitchin or a legal practice that specialises in conveyancing in Hitchin.
My husband and I are in the process of viewing houses in Hitchin and I am about to put in an offer. Is it premature to have a solicitor in place? I intend to finance via a mortgage with Leeds Building Society.
You should start obtaining conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the selling agent. Given that you are getting a mortgage with Leeds Building Society, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal proposed roadworks that may affect a commercial site in Hitchin?
Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Hitchin will execute a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers invest in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Hitchin. The report sets out definitive information 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 Hitchin.
For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Hitchin it is critical 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 cause delays to Hitchin commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not ordered for residential conveyancing in Hitchin.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what should have been a simple, no chain conveyancing. Hitchin is where the house is located. What do you suggest?
Flying freeholds in Hitchin are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Hitchin you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Hitchin may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.
I am looking into buying my first house which is in Hitchin and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Hitchin. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Hitchin area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?
Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Hitchin. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found