As a first time buyer what is the most important piece of guidance you can impart concerning purchase conveyancing in Billingshurst?
You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Billingshurst and elsewhere in West Sussex is an adversarial experience. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is lots of opportunity for confrontation between you and others involved in the transaction. For instance, the seller, estate agent and on occasion a bank. Selecting a law firm for your conveyancing in Billingshurst an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY party in the transaction whose interest is to act in your legal interests and to keep you safe.
We are witnessing a definite ongoing adversarial element to conveyancing- someone must be at fault for the process taking so long. We recommend that you should always trust your conveyancer ahead of the other parties when it comes to the legal transfer of property.
Can you clarify what the consequences are if my lawyer’s firm is expelled from the Coventry BS Conveyancing panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Billingshurst?
The first thing to point out is that, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.
I have a semi-detached Edwardian house in Billingshurst. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Birmingham Midshires. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Billingshurst and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.
How does conveyancing in Billingshurst differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Billingshurst approach us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is finished. This is because developers in Billingshurst typically buy 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 property lawyers 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 Billingshurst or who has acted in the same development.
Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Billingshurst before retaining lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor has said that some banks may not issue a loan on a flying freehold property.
It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different instructions for example to Halifax. If you call us we can look into this further with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Billingshurst. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Billingshurst especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Billingshurst.
In searching the internet for the phrase on line conveyancing in Billingshurst it reveals numerous solicitorsin the area. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right property lawyer for my move?
The ideal way of choosing a suitable conveyancer is via personal recommendation, so ask colleagues and relatives who have acquired a property in Billingshurst or a local estate agent or mortgage broker. Costs for conveyancing in Billingshurst vary, so it's advisable to obtain a minimum of three costs illustrations from varying types of property lawyers. Be sure to obtain confirmation what costs in the quote includes.