My partner and I are planning to acquire a property in Strawberry Hill and are in fact using a Strawberry Hill conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our solicitor has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Birmingham Midshires have this evening contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Strawberry Hill lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. Is this a problem?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is normal for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Strawberry Hill lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.
We are about to sign contracts for a freehold house in Strawberry Hill. We encountered a stumbling block. Our loan offer with National Westminster Bank runs out on 23/8/2019 but the owners are insisting on a completion date of 28/8/2019. Is it possible to prolong the loan expiry date?
The person best placed to deal with your concern is your conveyancer who will assess if they should be discussing with the lender, owner’s lawyers, selling agents or possibly all three given what has happend in your transaction to date.
Will lawyers request money up-front when it comes to conveyancing in Strawberry Hill?
If you are buying a property in Strawberry Hill your solicitor will ask you put them with monies to cover the search fees. Normally this is needed to cover the fees of the conveyancing searches. When the down payment is payable against the total price then this will be required immediately in advance of exchange of contracts. The closing balance that is needed should be sent to your lawyer shortly before completion.
If you had a top tip for selecting a conveyancing solicitor in Strawberry Hill what would it be?
It would be unwise to be tempted by the cheapest Strawberry Hill conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.
Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Skipton. Strawberry Hill conveyancing practitioners have been chosen. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Skipton?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Skipton conducted the valuation? Have you advised Skipton as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Skipton conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.
I have paid off my mortgage with Co-operative. I assume I don't need a Strawberry Hill conveyancing practitioner on the Co-operative panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Co-operative 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 Co-operative mortgage from the register. Co-operative, 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 Co-operative has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Co-operative has instructed the Land Registry to do so
Just had an offer accepted on a new build flat in Strawberry Hill. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.
Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Strawberry Hill
-
If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier?
In my capacity as executor for the estate of my grandfather I am selling a residence in Newport but live in Strawberry Hill. My conveyancer (who is 250 miles from meneeds me to execute a statutory declaration prior to the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Strawberry Hill who can witness and place their company stamp on the document?
strictly speaking you should not need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or qualified solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are Strawberry Hill based
