My property lawyer in Castleton has never been on on the The Royal Bank of Scotland Approved Panel. Can I still use my family solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the The Royal Bank of Scotland list of approved lawyers?
Your options are as follows:
- Carry on with your preferred Castleton lawyers but The Royal Bank of Scotland will need to retain a conveyancer on their list of acceptable firms. This will result in additional overall conveyancing fees and result in frustration.
- Find a new lawyer to act in the conveyancing, remembering to check they are Convince your solicitor to use their best endeavours to join the The Royal Bank of Scotland conveyancing panel
I am purchasing a terrace house in Castleton. The intention is to convert the garage to a playroom at the property.Will legal investigations on the property include checks to see if these works were previously refused?
Your solicitor should review the registered title as conveyancing in Castleton will sometimes reveal restrictions in the title documents which prevent categories of changes or require the permission of another owner. Many additions require local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Certain locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. It would be prudent to check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
I have a mortgage with Virgin Money for my property in Castleton. Conveyancing has been completed 12 months ago. Should I wish 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 Virgin Money?
You must advise Virgin Money before renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Virgin Money’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Virgin Money will allow you to rent 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 Virgin Money directly. You need not do this via a Virgin Money conveyancing panel firm.
Kent Reliance have agreed my mortgage in principle, my bid on a apartment in Castleton has been agreed to, now what?
The property agent will wish to be advised as to your conveyancer's details (ensure that the property lawyers are on the bank’s approved list). Contact Kent Reliance or your broker and complete any relevant documentation. Kent Reliance will instruct a valuer who will get in touch with the estate agent or vendor to book a time for the valuation to take place. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes on average a fortnight to receive the mortgage offer. Kent Reliance will send the offer to you and your solicitors. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Castleton.
Will our conveyancer be raising enquiries concerning flooding during the conveyancing in Castleton.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers dealing with homes in Castleton. Some people will buy a property in Castleton, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.
Conveyancers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous searches that may be carried out by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which can give them a better understanding of the risks in Castleton. The standard property information forms sent to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a usual question of the owner to find out if the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred and is not disclosed by the vendor, then a buyer could commence a compensation claim stemming from an misleading reply. The purchaser’s solicitors should also commission an environmental report. This will reveal whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional inquiries should be conducted.
I decided to have a survey completed on a property in Castleton prior to appointing lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the property. Our surveyor has said that some banks will refuse to issue a mortgage on this type of home.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to call us we can investigate further with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Castleton. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
How do I use the search tool to find a conveyancing practitioner in Castleton on the approved list for my bank?
First choose a bank such as Birmingham Midshires, Leeds Building Society or Godiva Mortgages Ltd then choose your preferred area e.g. Castleton. Conveyancing firms in Castleton and nationally will then be identified.
I bought a flat in Castleton last 14/5/2025 and to date it is still not registered with the Land Registry. It is part of a new estate and my property lawyer told me that it may take twelve months to complete the registration formalities. I have called HM Land Registry directly and they say that the original application was cancelled due to questions not being addressed in time. Do I need to be concerned?
Contact your property lawyer - if you are not getting sensible responses, enquire as to their firm’s complaints process and amplify your concerns to a Complaints Manager. Registrations for Castleton conveyancing are not known to be significantly delayed.