The sellers of the property we are looking to purchase have appointed a conveyancing firm in Whitehaven who has suggested a lock out agreement with a non-refundable deposit of 5k. Is it wise to enter into such agreements?
Lock out contracts are agreements binding a property vendor and purchaser giving the buyer a ‘clear field’ to purchase the premises for a set period of time. For all intents and purposes, a lock out agreement is a contract specifying that you will receive a contract at a later time being the contract for the actual sale. It tends to be utilised for buyer assurance though in some cases, the owner may enjoy an upside from such agreements as well. There are numerous positives and negatives to having an agreement but you should to check with your conveyancer but note that it may end up costing you more in conveyancing charges. For these reasons these contracts are not popular in relation to conveyancing in Whitehaven.
We are selling our house in Whitehaven. Will my conveyancer need to be required to be on the UBS conveyancing panel in order to deal with the discharge of my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the UBS conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their requirements fairly frequently at the moment.
How does conveyancing in Whitehaven differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Whitehaven contact us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is built. This is because developers in Whitehaven usually purchase the real estate, 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 used to new build conveyancing in Whitehaven or who has acted in the same development.
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and identified one round the corner in Whitehaven I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it only has 51 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Whitehaven suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?
If you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you can ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this.
Do I need to be wary that 3rd parties that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a factory type conveyancing firm rather than a local Whitehaven conveyancing practice?
As with many professional services, often input from connections can be most helpful. Yet there are lots of parties with a vested interest in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, financial adviser and banks may put forward lawyers to instruct. Sometimes the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but occasionally there behind the scenes financial incentive behind the endorsement. You have the discretion to appoint your preferred lawyer. Don't forget that some lenders operate an approved list of conveyancers you have to use for the mortgage related work in your house move.
Been reading online that Whitehaven solicitors are more expensive than Whitehaven conveyancers in Whitehaven when it comes to buying a house. So is it better if I use a conveyancer or a solicitor where I am buying a house in Whitehaven.
When it comes to conveyancing in Whitehaven the costs are unlikely to vary dramatically depending on whether the legal expert is a licenced conveyancer or solicitor.