Is the fact that my solicitor in Winchester is not on my mortgage company's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of the firm’s conveyancing?
It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Winchester conveyancing firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
I'm in the throws of viewing houses in Winchester and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it best to have a property lawyer on ‘stand by’? I intend to finance via a home loan with UBS.
It would be advisable to instigate your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the EA. Given that you are taking out a mortgage with UBS, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the UBS conveyancing panel.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Winchester off the council. I have a mortgage offer with Aldermore. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Aldermore, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Aldermore conveyancing panel.
I am due to exchange contracts on my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in April 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, TSB are being pedantic. The Winchester solicitor who is on the TSB conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but TSB are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do TSB have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that TSB have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why TSB may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
What can a local search tell me concerning the house we're purchasing in Winchester?
Winchester conveyancing often commences with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search organisations for instance Searches UK The local search plays an important part in many a Winchester conveyancing purchase; as long as you don’t want any unpleasant once you have moved into your new home. The search should provide information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 subject sections.
2 months have elapsed since my purchase conveyancing in Winchester took place. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £180,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the residence from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
I opted to have a survey carried out on a house in Winchester prior to appointing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. The surveyor advised that some mortgage companies tend not issue a mortgage on a flying freehold home.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different requirements for example to Halifax. Should you wish to telephone us we can check with the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Winchester. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Winchester to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.
Is it best to use a Winchester conveyancing lawyer in close proximity to the house I am hoping to buy? I have an old university friend who can carry out the conveyancing but her office is approximately 350kilometers drive away.
The primary upside of using a local Winchester conveyancing firm is that you can attend the office to sign documents, present your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. Having local Winchester know how is a benefit. That being said it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have used your friend and in the main were impressed that must outweigh using an unknown Winchester conveyancing solicitor just because they are based in the area.