I have given 2 months notice to my existing landlord and must leave my rented apartment in Shadwell by the end of next month. Conveyancing for my house purchase is progressing. How realistic is it to complete in a couple of weeks as I wish to avoid having to find temporary accommodation?
It is unwise to give notice on a rental until you have exchanged. Assuming that you have not already done so, contact to your lawyer and request that they cajole the other lawyers, try to an agreed time frame that all parties will aim towards
Having sold my house in Shadwell last October but our buyer keeps e-mailing daily to moan that their lawyer is waiting to hear from mine. What should have happened following completion?
Following your house sale your lawyer should forward the transfer deeds and all of the paperwork to the purchaser's lawyers. If applicable, your lawyer must also send confirmation that the home loan has been repaid to the purchasers conveyancers. There is unlikely to be post completion tasks just for conveyancing in Shadwell.
Forgive me if this question is silly but I am unexperienced as FTB of a ground floor flat in Shadwell. Do I pick up the keys to the premises on completion from my lawyer? If this is the case, I will instruct a local conveyancing solicitor in Shadwell?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will transfer the purchase money to the vendor’s lawyers, and once they have received this, you should be called to collect the keys from the property Agents and start moving into the property. This tends to happen between 1 and 3pm.
Is there a list of Aldermore panel conveyancers in Shadwell on the Building Society Association’s Website?
No. There is no such directory service on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association sites. A small selection of mortgage companies make their panel listings visible on the web. Where you are seeking to appoint a Shadwell lawyer on the Aldermore please make the most of our facility.
I've digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Shadwell solicitor - who is on the HSBC conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
HSBC will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually HSBC 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 lawyer 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 Shadwell postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with HSBC, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Shadwell.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Shadwell?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Shadwell. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Shadwell I like with amenity areas and transport links in the vicinity, however it only has 49 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Shadwell for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?
Should you need a home loan that many years will be an issue. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this.
I need to instruct a conveyancing practitioner in Shadwell for my sale. Is there any facility to review a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?
Members of the public can see presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions resulting from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find details Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA sometimes monitor call for training requirements.