I am buying a property in Brynmill. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. UBS have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with UBS your lawyer must comply with the conveyancing requirements set out in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for UBS. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to UBS where a lease fails to meet these conditions. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not limited to Brynmill.
I have a mortgage with Yorkshire BS for my property in Brynmill. Conveyancing has been completed some time 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 Yorkshire BS?
Your original mortgage agreement with Yorkshire BS will provide that you need their approval prior to letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Yorkshire BS’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Yorkshire BS 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 Yorkshire BS directly. You need not do this via a Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel lawyer.
Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Brynmill. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?
Most lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Team at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.
A relative recommended that if I am purchasing in Brynmill I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
A search of this type is occasionally included in the estimate for your Brynmill conveyancing searches. It is a large report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing important information about Brynmill around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Brynmill Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Brynmill.
Me and my brother have a 4 bedroom Victorian house in Brynmill. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Barnsley Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold under the matching address. Is it worth asking Barnsley Building Society to clarify?
You should review 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 owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Brynmill and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also enquire as to the situation with the conveyancing solicitor who conducted the purchase.
How does conveyancing in Brynmill differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Brynmill come to us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is constructed. This is because developers in Brynmill tend to purchase the site, 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 Brynmill or who has acted in the same development.
Am I best advised to appoint a Brynmill conveyancing lawyer in close proximity to the house I am purchasing? We have a good friend who can deal with the legal work however her office is over three hundred kilometers drive away.
The primary upside of using a high street Brynmill conveyancing practice is that you can drop in to sign documents, deliver your ID and apply pressure on them where appropriate. Having local Brynmill know how is a benefit. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have instructed your friend and they were impressed that must outweigh using an unfamiliar Brynmill conveyancing solicitor just because they are Brynmill based.
Sixweeks into purchasing a property in Brynmill. Conveyancing lawyer has called to say the property is "Leasehold". Should this make a difference on the marketability of the house?
Brynmill conveyancing does not in most situations involve leasehold houses. The key factor here is the length of lease and the ground rent. If it's 999 years with a nominal rent, it's almost the same as freehold, so it’s unlikely to impact the saleability too much.
At the other end of the spectrum, if it's, say, 50 years it will have a adverse impact on the saleability, and most likely wouldn't be mortgageable. The remaining lease term and ground rent will be set out in the lease which should be made available to your solicitor.