We are purchasing a 1 bedroom apartment in Woolton with a mortgage. We wish to retain our Woolton conveyancer, but the lender says he's not on their "panel". It seems we have no option but to use one of the bank panel firms or continue with our Woolton solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. We regard this is inequitable; can we not insist that the mortgage company use our Woolton conveyancing practitioner ?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’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. Another option that might be available is for your Woolton conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
I am aiming to move house in March. Will my conveyancing solicitor update the removal company on the day of completion. Incidentally, can you recommend a removal company in Woolton. Conveyancing firm was found before I stumbled across your site.
On the afternoon of completion you will need to pick up the house keys from the property agent but this can only happen after the vendors solicitors advise the agent that they have the completion monies and the keys can be released. Subsequently you will need to advise the removal company that you are ready to move in. As a matter of policy we do not suggest a particular removal company but can help you locate a residential property solicitor in Woolton or a solicitor with expertise in conveyancing in Woolton.
The formalities of my purchase has taken place for my property in Woolton. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?
All lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.
I have instructed a Woolton conveyancer having made sure that they are on the Skipton conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
Skipton will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Skipton 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. You may wish to consider appointing your own Woolton surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal proposed roadworks that may affect a commercial site in Woolton?
Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Woolton will perform a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers expend in looking into accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Woolton. The report sets out definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Woolton.
For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Woolton it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately can cause delays to Woolton commercial conveyancing transactions as well as pose a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not conducted for residential conveyancing in Woolton.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Woolton?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Woolton. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Woolton ahead of instructing solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. The surveyor has said that some banks tend refuse to give a loan on such a property.
It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different requirements for example to Nationwide. If you e-mail us we can check via the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Woolton. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Woolton to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.
When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Woolton what are the most frequent lease problems?
There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Woolton. Most leases are drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain sections are not included. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:
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Insurance obligations
A defective lease will likely cause issues when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. HSBC Bank, The Mortgage Works, and Bank of Ireland all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.
I invested in buying a studio flat in Woolton, conveyancing was carried out in 2003. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Woolton with an extended lease are worth £207,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £60 charged once a year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2081
With only 57 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £28,500 and £33,000 plus professional fees.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.