My husband and I are looking to buy a home in Whitefield and have appointed a Whitefield conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our property lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report with a view to exchanging next week. Platform Home Loans Ltd have this morning contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Whitefield solicitor is not on their conveyancing panel. Is this a problem?
Where you are buying a property requiring a mortgage it is usual for the purchasers' lawyers to also represent 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 bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Whitefield solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
We are looking to buy a property and require a conveyancing solicitor in Whitefield who is on the RBS conveyancing panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a conveyancing firm?
Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for RBS . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Whitefield.
I moved into my flat on 12 September and my personal details are still not on the land registry website. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Whitefield said it would be registered in less than a month. Are transfers in Whitefield particularly slow to register?
As far as conveyancing in Whitefield registration is no quicker or slower than anywhere else in the country. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can differ subject to the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry have to notify any interested parties. As of today approximately three quarters of submission are completed in less than three weeks but some can be subject to extensive delays. Registration occurs after the buyer is living at the premises so 'speed' is not typically an essential issue yet where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your solicitor can communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.
How does conveyancing in Whitefield differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Whitefield come to us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is completed. This is because house builders in Whitefield tend to buy 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 Whitefield or who has acted in the same development.
I need to appoint a conveyancing solicitor for some conveyancing in Whitefield. I happened to discover a web site which looks to be the perfect solution If it is possible to get all formalities completed via phone that would be ideal. Should I be concerned? 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?
What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Whitefield conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?
If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Whitefield conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you speak with two or three firms including non Whitefield conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be of use:
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How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation? If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
I own a split level flat in Whitefield, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Whitefield with an extended lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2074
With just 52 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £29,500 and £34,000 plus costs.
The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.