Much to our surprise we have been advised by our broker that my Barnt Green lawyer is not on the lender Solicitor panel. What can I do to be certain whether this is indeed the case?
You need to call your Barnt Green lawyer directly. You lawyer should notify you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your bank.
Why is leasehold purchase conveyancing in Barnt Green costs more?
The conveyancing charges on a leasehold property in Barnt Green is often higher when contrasted to a freehold property. This is because there is an amount of extra time necessary in dealing with the landlord and managing agents to obtain evidence concerning whether the rent and service charges have been discharged and whether there are any large sums expected to be spent in the near future on repairs or maintenance of the block.
My home in Barnt Green is up for sale and I have a purchaser. Will the lawyer have to be required to be on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Leeds Building Society 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 conditions fairly frequently at the moment.
We had instructed conveyancing lawyers locally in Barnt Green on the Aldermore solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a supplemental sum for dealing with the Aldermore mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by Aldermore?
As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your property lawyer is entitled to levy a fee for this. This charge is not dictated by Aldermore but by your Barnt Green conveyancing practitioner. Plenty of firms on the Aldermore panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but plenty of practices include it on their overall fee.
I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in October 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, Aldermore are being problematic. The Barnt Green solicitor who is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Aldermore are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Aldermore have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Aldermore have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Aldermore 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.
Having read lots of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Barnt Green solicitor - who is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Nationwide will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Nationwide 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 Barnt Green 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.
How does conveyancing in Barnt Green differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Barnt Green contact us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is ready to move into. This is because house builders in Barnt Green typically purchase the land, 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Barnt Green or who has acted in the same development.
I opted to have a survey done on a house in Barnt Green in advance of appointing conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. The surveyor advised that some banks will refuse to give a loan on such a property.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can investigate further with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Barnt Green. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Barnt Green especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Barnt Green.