Much to our surprise we have been told by our mortgage broker that my North Kensington property lawyer is not on the bank Conveyancing panel. How can I be sure if this is correct?
Your first step should be to call your North Kensington conveyancer. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the conveyancing panel for your lender.
I own a freehold house in North Kensington but nevertheless charged rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in North Kensington and has limited impact for conveyancing in North Kensington but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.
Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of fresh rentcharges post 1977.
Old rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 will be dispensed with completely.
We're in North Kensington, FTBs buying with a mortgage (lender is Santander , and our solicitor is on the Santander conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no lawyer should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.
Do I need to pay for insurance to protect me from financial exposure to chancel repairs when buying a property in North Kensington?
Unless a prior purchase of the property completed post 12 October 2013 you can take it that lawyers delivering conveyancing in North Kensington to remain recommending a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.
How does conveyancing in North Kensington differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in North Kensington approach us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is ready to move into. This is because builders in North Kensington usually 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 property lawyers 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 North Kensington or who has acted in the same development.
Is it possible to switch solicitor as I need to appoint one who is on the Britannia conveyancing panel. I instructed a local conveyancing solicitor in North Kensington five minutes from me but the firm is not accepted by Britannia
We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in North Kensington on the Britannia panel. Please note that the conveyancers that we work with do not pay us commission if you instruct them and are regulated by the SRA who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in North Kensington. In utilising search facility on this website, you can compare and instruct different solicitors and conveyancers both nationally and in North Kensington.
