Much to our surprise we have been informed by our IFA that my Bookham the law firm I have appointed is not on the lender Solicitor panel. How can I be sure that this is correct?
The first thing you need to do is to call your Bookham conveyancer. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you of the situation. Where they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the conveyancing panel for your mortgage company.
I am thinking of remortgaging my home in Bookham, does my lawyer have to be on the Co-operative Conveyancing panel?
In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the Co-operative conveyancing panel, but Co-operative would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same conveyancing matter.
I had a mortgage agreed in principle with Principality. Bookham conveyancing practitioners have been chosen. How long does it take for Principality to issue the offer to the conveyancing practitioner?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Principality done the survey? Have you informed Principality as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Principality conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.
The mortgage over my property is with Bank of Ireland for my property in Bookham. Conveyancing has been completed months ago. If I am intending to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Bank of Ireland?
Your original mortgage agreement with Bank of Ireland will provide that you need their approval in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Bank of Ireland’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will permit you to let 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 Bank of Ireland directly. You need not do this via a Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel lawyer.
I recently had an offer agreed on an apartment in Bookham. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an on account payment of £175. A couple of days later, the conveyancing practitioner contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Principality conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Principality panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
What can a local search inform me concerning the property we're buying in Bookham?
Bookham conveyancing often commences with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search company for example Xpress Legal The local search plays a central role in many a Bookham conveyancing purchase; that is if you wish to avoid any unpleasant surprises after you move into your new home. The search should provide data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 topic areas.
I opted to have a survey completed on a property in Bookham in advance of retaining solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. My surveyor advised that some banks will not grant a loan on such a house.
It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to call us we can look into this further via the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Bookham. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Bookham especially if they are familiar with such properties in Bookham.
I am downsizing from my property. My past lawyers closed down. It would be helpful to have a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. Im based in Bookham if that makes things easier.
Please use our search tool to help you choose a solicitor for your conveyancing in Bookham. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with regulated solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move runs with a minimum of fuss.