Our family solicitor has sent a quote for £1200 for freehold conveyancing in Catton. I am hoping to downsize from a newly refurbished property for £175,000. This appears overpriced. Is it in excess of what I should be paying for conveyancing in Catton?
The charges are a bit high. If you shop around you may be able to get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by as much as a hundred pounds. On the other hand, you couldlive to regret choosing an an unknown solicitor. If is important to enquire that the firm can act for your lender. Do use our comparison tool to find a Catton conveyancing firm on the banks approved list of lawyers which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Catton.
We are buying a newbuild apartment in Catton with a loan from Platform Home Loans Ltd.We like our Catton conveyancing practitioner but Platform Home Loans Ltd advised that his firm is not on their "panel". we are left little option but to use a Platform Home Loans Ltd panel solicitor or retain our local solicitor and fork out for a Platform Home Loans Ltd panel lawyer to act for them. We feel as though this is unjust; Can we not simply insist that Platform Home Loans Ltd use our lawyer?
Unfortunately,no. The loan issued to you contains various provisions, a common one being that lawyers must be on the Platform Home Loans Ltd approved list. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could find one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Platform Home Loans Ltd
If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Catton what would it be?
We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Catton conveyancing quote. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of time.
My wife and I are at the point of viewing houses in Catton and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it sensible to have a conveyancer on ‘stand by’? I intend to finance via a mortgage with Lloyds.
You should start obtaining conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the EA. As you are taking out a mortgage with Lloyds, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel.
RBS have agreed my home loan in principle, my offer on a house in Catton has been accepted, what happens next?
The property agent will want to know who your solicitors are (make sure the conveyancing practitioners are on the bank’s approved list). Contact RBS or the broker and complete any outstanding paperwork. RBS will appoint a valuer who will get in contact with the selling agent or seller to schedule an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes on average ten days for the mortgage offer to be issued. RBS will send the offer to you and your lawyers. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Catton.
How does conveyancing in Catton differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Catton approach us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is finished. This is because developers in Catton typically 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 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 used to new build conveyancing in Catton or who has acted in the same development.
I am looking for a conveyancing lawyer in Catton for my house move. Is there any facility to check a solicitor's complaints history with the profession’s regulator?
You may review published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For records Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors history, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may recorded telephone calls for training reasons.
I bought a property in Catton last 3/10/2024 and to date it is still not registered with the Land Registry. It is part of a development site and my solicitor told me that it can take twelve months to complete the registration formalities. I have spoken with the Land Registry directly and they say that the initial application was cancelled due to failure to reply to requisitions. Do I need to be concerned?
It is your property lawyer that you must get in touch with in order to satisfy any issues which have been raised as part of the registration process for your Catton property. Normal Catton conveyancing practice includes an undertaking on the part of the vendor’s conveyancing practitioner that they will assist in resolving any requirements raised by HMLR so it may be a case of taking action to enforce that undertaking if necessary.