We are purchasing a 2 bedroom apartment in Whitstable with a mortgage. We like our Whitstable lawyer, however the bank advise he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the bank panel firms or keep our Whitstable property lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel firms to represent them. We feel that this is unjust; can we not require that the mortgage company use our Whitstable solicitor ?
Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your Whitstable conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
IfI was to acquire a straightforward housein Whitstable for cash and dispense with a survey and no local authority searches how much would I expect to to save on my conveyancing in Whitstable?
Any savings you would achieve will be isolated to the disbursement for searches. The solicitor still got to do everything else - money laundering, correspond with your sellers lawyer, stamp duty submission, register the ownership etc. A marginal saving might be made by not needing to register a mortgage but it will not be a lot.
What is your number one tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Whitstable
It would be unwise to be tempted by the lowest Whitstable conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. 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.
Forgive me if this question is silly but I am unexperienced as FTB of a two bedroom flat in Whitstable. Do I pick up the keys to the property on completion from my solicitor? If this is the case, I will find a local conveyancing solicitor in Whitstable?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will arrange to send the purchase money to the owner’s conveyancers, and once they have received this, you should be able to pick up the keys from the Estate Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this happens between 1 and 3pm.
The formalities of my purchase has taken place for my property in Whitstable. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I would like to complain about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?
Almost all banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are resolved effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service who will take matters further.
I used Stirling Law several years ago for my conveyancing in Whitstable. I now require my file however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Whitstable of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Whitstable. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.
Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Whitstable
-
Please supply a car parking plan. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? 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.
I today plan to offer on a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Whitstable. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Whitstable ?
Most houses in Whitstable are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Whitstable in which case you should be shopping around for a Whitstable conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the landlord’spermission to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer should appraise you on the various issues.
I am the registered owner of a leasehold flat in Whitstable, conveyancing was carried out 10 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar flats in Whitstable with a long lease are worth £201,000. The ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease expires on 21st October 2090
With only 64 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £14,300 and £16,400 plus legals.
The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.