I am expecting a OIP from Kent Reliance 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 Kent Reliance recommend any Canterbury solicitors on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?
You will need to appoint Canterbury solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Kent Reliance through the process.
My wife and I are at the point of looking at flats in Canterbury and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it advisable to have my conveyancing practitioner on ‘stand by’? I will be getting a mortgage with Lloyds.
It would be wise to start your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the EA. Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Lloyds, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel.
I recently had an offer accepted on a house in Canterbury. My mortgage broker suggested a conveyancing practitioner. I paid an advanced payment of £225. Shortly after, the property lawyer called me to say that they were not on the Yorkshire BS 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 Yorkshire BS 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.
I purchased my apartment on 1 June and my personal details is not yet on the land registry website. Should I be concerned? My conveyancing solicitor in Canterbury expressed confidence that it should be registered in less than a month. Are properties in Canterbury uniquely lengthy to register?
As far as conveyancing in Canterbury registration is no quicker or slower than anywhere else in the country. Rather than based on location, timeframes can vary depending on who lodges the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry must send notices to any interested parties. At present roughly 80% of submission are fully addressed within two weeks but occasionally there can be longer delays. Historically registration is effected once the new owner has moved in to the premises thus an expedited registration is not typically top priority but where there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your solicitor could speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.
I am buying a new build apartment in Canterbury. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.
Here are examples of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Canterbury
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Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? Please supply a car parking plan. Please provide evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what should have been a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Canterbury is the location of the property. Can you offer any advice?
Flying freeholds in Canterbury are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Canterbury you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Canterbury may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.
I’m about to sell my 2 bed flat in Canterbury. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, however I have just had a quarterly service charge demand – Do I pay up?
Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear the maintenance contribution as usual because all rents and service charges should be allotted on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.
Leasehold Conveyancing in Canterbury - A selection of Queries before buying
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You will want to discover as much as possible regarding the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the owner of a leasehold property you are often in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to daily matters like the tidiness of the common parts. Ask other tenants what they think of them. In conclusion, be sure you know the dates that the service charges are due to the appropriate party and precisely how they are spending that money. Please note that where the lease has no more than eighty years it will affect the marketability of the apartment. Check with your bank that they are happy with the length of the lease. A short lease means that you will most likely require a lease extension sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out what this will be. For most Canterburylease extensions you would be required to have owned the property for a couple of years in order to be legally able to extend the lease. In the main the cost for major works are not wrapped into the maintenance charges, albeit that some managing agents in Canterbury ask leasehold owners to pay into a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger repairs or maintenance.
My boyfriend is purchasing a garden flat in Canterbury. He was given a quote by the property lawyer connected to the estate agents totaling £1245 . It was seven years ago since I sold and purchased a home and it cost was £450. Have charges really gone up that much?
We would recommend that you contact 3 or 4 local Canterbury conveyancing solicitors seeking prices. It is advisable to base your decision not solely on cost, but on promptness and on how comprehensive the reply was.