Is the fact that my solicitor in Beddington is not listed on my bank's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of her conveyancing?
It would not be wise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated 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 Beddington conveyancing practice and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
Are you able to suggest a Norwich and Peterborough Building Society accepted Beddington conveyancing practice who can have us moved in within a short deadline? Would it be better to use a local Beddington practice or an online conveyancer?
We would be happy to suggest some excellent Beddington conveyancing firms. You can also walk up the high street in Beddington. Approach two or three law practices and ask to speak with a conveyancing solicitor for a quote. Mention your deadline together with the reasons and ask for an assurance on your deadline. Select the lawyer that appears most efficient.
Is there a reason why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Beddington costs more?
Beddington leasehold properties involve far more paperwork than a freehold purchase, and therefore takes more time to examine and advise upon.Conveyancing will involve the lease having to be checked which is usually a lengthy document, queries raised to ensure that the covenants and conditions have been observed. If it is a flat there will be a management company in existence and the accounts of this will need to be checked and enquiries raised to ensure it is operating efficiently and that all monies due have been paid by the Seller to the company and if not ensuring that money is paid up to date or the appropriate undertakings obtained.
My fiance and I wish to acquire a newbuild flat in Beddington with a mortgage from Yorkshire Building Society.We use our Beddington conveyancing solicitor but Yorkshire Building Society says she’s not listed on their "panel". It seems we are left with little choice but to instruct a Yorkshire Building Society panel lawyer or retain our high street solicitor and pay for a Yorkshire Building Society panel lawyer to represent them. We feel as though this is unjust; Can we not simply insist that Yorkshire Building Society use our lawyer?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you contains terms and conditions, one of which will be that solicitors needs to be on the Yorkshire Building Society solicitor panel. in the past, most lenders had large numbers of solicitors 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 solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Yorkshire Building Society
Can I be sure that the Beddington conveyancing solicitor on the Santander panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Beddington getting recommendations is a good start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advocate that you speak with the solicitor handling your conveyancing.
We expect to receive a AIP from Lloyds this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Lloyds recommend any Beddington solicitors on the Lloyds conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?
You will need to appoint Beddington solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Lloyds through the process.
At last I have had an offer on a flat in Beddington accepted, but there is a chain. The owners have offered on a flat, but it’s not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other flats in the pipeline. I have chosen a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Beddington. What do I do now? At what stage should I apply for the mortgage with Santander?
It is normal to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (home loan application is approx £1k, then survey, Beddington conveyancing search fees, etc). First, you must ensure that your property lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel. Concerning the next phase this very much depends on the specifics of your case, desire for the property and on the state of the market. During a buoyant market the majority of purchasers will apply for the mortgage with Santander and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their conveyancing practitioner to press on with searches.
I am looking for a flat up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Beddington I like with a park and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Beddington in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?
If you need a home loan that many years will likely be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you can ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.