Just been in touch with my conveyancing lawyer in Sawtry who acted for me two years ago asking for a conveyancing quote based on the same type of house move (a leasehold residence and a freehold property) of almost identical values with a home loan from Virgin Money. I am now being quoted twice the amount. Am I right to be tempted to shop around for an alternative conveyancer?
The estimate does seem a little steep. If you shop around you might get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by perhaps £125. On the other hand, providing that you were happy with the assistance the firm gave you mightcome to regret opting for an a cheaper lawyer. Remember to check the firm can also act for Virgin Money. Do use our search tool to get a quote a Sawtry conveyancing firm on the Virgin Money member panel, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Sawtry.
is it true that all Sawtry solicitor firms on the UBS conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the UBS conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. The majority of lenders do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the practice would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
I recently had an offer agreed on an apartment in Sawtry. My mortgage broker suggested a lawyer. I paid an on account payment of £175. A few days later, the lawyer contacted me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Principality conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Principality panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
Having read lots of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Sawtry solicitor - who is on the Principality conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Principality will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Principality 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. You may wish to consider appointing your own Sawtry surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
I have justfound out that Stirling Law have been shut down. They carried out my conveyancing in Sawtry for a purchase of a freehold house 9 months ago. How can I check that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?
The easiest way to check 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 Sawtry conveyancing specialists.
How does conveyancing in Sawtry differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Sawtry come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is constructed. This is because builders in Sawtry usually acquire the site, 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 conveyancers 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Sawtry or who has acted in the same development.
I opted to have a survey carried out on a property in Sawtry prior to instructing lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. My surveyor advised that some lenders may not issue a loan on this type of home.
It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different requirements from Halifax. Should you wish to telephone us we can check with the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Sawtry. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Sawtry to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.
My wife and I have chosen a Sawtry conveyancing solicitor for our house purchase (FTB’s) and have spotted in the engagement letter that they are not overseen by the FCA. Need I be worried or is that standard with solicitor?
We can't see why they should be. Most solicitor don't lend money. You should check that they are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, who set stringent rules regulating amounts held by them.