Do I have to visit the offices of the solicitor to sign the mortgage deed? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Tavistock so that I can pop in to their offices if required.
As opposed to 15 years ago, the vast majority banks no longer require their conveyancing panel lawyer to witness the borrowers signature. You will still be obliged to hand over ID documents and there are still manifest benefits to instructing a locally based practitioner, in your situation a conveyancing solicitor in Tavistock.
is it true that all Tavistock solicitor firms on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Leeds Building Society approved list of solicitors they would need to be governed by the SRA. Some banks do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
The mortgage over my property is with Barclays for my property in Tavistock. Conveyancing has been completed 12 months ago. If I am intending to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Barclays?
You must advise Barclays prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Barclays’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Barclays directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Barclays conveyancing panel solicitor.
I've read lots of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Tavistock solicitor - who is on the Nottingham conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Nottingham will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Nottingham 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 Tavistock postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Nottingham, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Tavistock.
I own a semi-detached Victorian property in Tavistock. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and The Mortgage Works. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the matching property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Tavistock and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also question the position with the conveyancing solicitor who completed the work.
How does conveyancing in Tavistock differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Tavistock approach us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is finished. This is because house builders in Tavistock typically purchase 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Tavistock or who has acted in the same development.
Is it possible to change solicitor as I have to select one who is on the Virgin Money conveyancing list. I was using a family conveyancing solicitor in Tavistock five minutes from me but the firm is not approved by Virgin Money
It would be our pleasure to assist you select a conveyancing solicitor in Tavistock on the Virgin Money panel. Please note that the conveyancers that we list do not pay us commission if you instruct them and are under regulation of the SRA who regulate all conveyancing solicitors in Tavistock. In utilising search facility on this site, you can contrast charges for conveyancing solicitors in Tavistock and throughout England and Wales.
Am I best advised to go with a Tavistock conveyancing solicitor based in the area that I am buying? We have a good friend who can execute the legal formalities but they are based over three hundred miles away.
The benefit of a high street Tavistock conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to execute documents, hand in your ID and apply pressure on them where appropriate. Having local Tavistock know how is a plus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If you know people who instructed your friend and in the main were impressed that must trump using an unfamiliar Tavistock conveyancing lawyer just because they are based in the area.