We're in Atherton, First time buyers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is RBS , and our lawyer is on the RBS conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the RBS conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no conveyancing practitioner should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.
We have agreed to purchase a house in Atherton. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Bank of Ireland be concerned?
As you are obtaining a mortgage with Bank of Ireland your lawyer must check the conveyancing requirements set out in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Bank of Ireland. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Bank of Ireland where a lease fails to comply with these specifications. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not isolated to Atherton.
I have paid off my mortgage with Virgin Money. I assume I don't need a Atherton solicitor on the Virgin Money panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Virgin Money mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Virgin Money mortgage from the register. Virgin Money, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Virgin Money has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Virgin Money has instructed the Land Registry to do so
The mortgage over my property is with HSBC for my property in Atherton. Conveyancing has been completed 12 months ago. In the event that I decide to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform HSBC?
HSBC must be informed of your intention prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of HSBC’s mortgage conditions. It may be that HSBC will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact HSBC directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a HSBC conveyancing panel lawyer.
My colleague recommended that where I am buying in Atherton I should ask my conveyancer to execute a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
This is a search is usually included in the estimate for your Atherton conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and detailing significant information about Atherton around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Atherton Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Atherton.
2 months have elapsed since my purchase conveyancing in Atherton completed. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £160,000. 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 asset 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.
The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Atherton. Conveyancing is necessary evil 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.
Here are examples of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Atherton
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Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. 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 am four weeks into a leasehold purchase having been directed to a firm by the selling agent to do our conveyancing in Atherton. I am am starting to be dissatisfied with the quality of service. Can you help me find new conveyancers?
A conveyancer would need to be really poor to suggest changing them. Has your mortgage been generated? If so you need to inform them of the new solicitor and have the offer are re-issued. The solicitor ideally needs to be on the mortgage company panel to avoid escalating expenses and frustration. So that should be your first question of the new conveyancers. Our search tool will help you find a lender approved solicitor for your conveyancing in Atherton