I am expecting a offer of a home loan from Santander. My intention is to employ the services of a Licensed Conveyancer in Runcorn. Does the Santander Solicitor panel include conveyancers regulated by the CLC?
The Santander conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, associated to the CML or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.
I'm in the process of looking at houses in Runcorn and I am now considering a potential offer. Should I already have a conveyancer appointed at this stage? I am planning to take a home loan with RBS.
You should start obtaining conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the selling agent. As you are obtaining a mortgage with RBS, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the RBS conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Lloyds. I assume I don't need a Runcorn property lawyer on the Lloyds panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Lloyds 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 Lloyds mortgage from the register. Lloyds, 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 Lloyds has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Lloyds has instructed the Land Registry to do so
After shopping around on the internet I have found a Runcorn conveyancer having made sure that they are on the TSB conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
TSB will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually TSB 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. Your conveyancer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Runcorn postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with TSB, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Runcorn.
My relative advised me that where I am buying in Runcorn I should ask my conveyancer to execute a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Runcorn conveyancing searches. It is a large report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing important information about Runcorn around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data concerning Runcorn.
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Runcorn I like with a park and railway links nearby, the downside is that it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Runcorn for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?
If you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease may be problematic. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this.
I have been advised by a number of selling agents in Runcorn to select a conveyancer using your seach tool. What’s the financial advantage for Estate Agents to offer your site rather than alternative conveyancing organisations?
We don’t give any commission for directing people in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission because members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.
I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor for leasehold conveyancing in Runcorn. I have land on a site which looks to be the ideal solution If it is possible to get all the legals completed via web that would be ideal. Should I be wary? What should out be looking out for?
As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?