I am assisting my sister sell her property in March. Will the conveyancing solicitor commission an energy performance certificate or it is for me to coordinate?
Following the demise of Home Packs, energy performance certificates was maintained a compulsory component of moving house. An energy performance certificate must be to hand prior to the property being marketed. It is not a task that conveyancers normally organise. If you are instructing a March conveyancing lawyer they might be willing to arrange energy performance certificates given their relationships with reputable March assessors
Is it the case that all March solicitors on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel are overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Many mortgage companies do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
My sealed bid on a property in March has been accepted, but there is a chain. The owners have put an offer on a flat, but it’s not been accepted yet, and are looking at other apartments booked. I have chosen a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in March. What do I do now? At what stage should I apply for the mortgage with Skipton?
It is normal to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs too early (mortgage application is approx one thousand pounds, then survey, March conveyancing search charges, etc). The first course of action is to check that your lawyer is on the Skipton approved list. Regarding the subsequent phase this very much dictated by the circumstances of your case, motivation for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot market many home buyers would apply for a home loan with Skipton and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their conveyancer to move forward with searches.
I am intent on selling our house in March and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was built land that was not decontaminated. A high street March conveyancer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers used a national conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in March. We have lived in March for six years we know that this is a non issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to obtain clarification that the buyers are looking for.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. What do they say? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same ailment)
I am purchasing my first flat in March with a mortgage from Barclays Direct. The sellers would not move on the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent suggested that I not inform my lawyer about this extras as it may put at risk my loan with the lender. Should I keep quiet?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
How simple is it to use your search tool to get a quote from a conveyancing solicitor in March on the approved list for my mortgage?
1st select a lender such as Accord Mortgages Ltd, Chelsea Building Society or Godiva Mortgages Ltd then choose your preferred area such as March. Conveyancing practices in March and across England and Wales will then be identified.
Last February I purchased a leasehold property in March. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?
Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
I am the registered owner of a split level flat in March, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar properties in March with a long lease are worth £181,000. The ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2077
With 51 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £30,400 and £35,200 plus professional fees.
The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other 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 placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.
I've found a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently discovered that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in March. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in March ?
Most houses in March are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in March in which case you should be looking for a March conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will advise you fully on all the issues.