We are looking to buy a house and require a conveyancing solicitor in Cumbria who is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a firm?
Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Virgin Money . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Cumbria.
My conveyancer has informed me that restrictive coveneant insurance is needed on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Cumbria?
The appropriate level of restrictive coveneant indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between Halifax and The Royal Bank of Scotland. Conveyancing lawyers as opposed to members of the public take out such policies.
When it comes to lenders such as Nationwide, do Cumbria conveyancers have to pay an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are unaware of any lender fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.
I have instructed a Cumbria property lawyer having made sure that they are on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
Kent Reliance will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Kent Reliance will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your property lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Cumbria postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Kent Reliance, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Cumbria.
I completed on my apartment on 9 May and my personal details is not yet on the land registry website. Should I be concerned? My conveyancing solicitor in Cumbria expressed confidence that it should be formalised in less than a month. Are transfers in Cumbria uniquely lengthy to register?
As far as conveyancing in Cumbria is concerned, registration is no faster or slower than anywhere else in the country. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can differ depending on who lodges the application, whether there are errors and if the Land registry must send notices to any interested parties. Currently approximately 80% of submission are fully addressed within 12 days but some can be subject to extensive hold-ups. Registration takes place once the buyer has moved in to the property thus an expedited registration is not typically an essential issue yet if it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your conveyancer could speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Cumbria I like with a park and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 49 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Cumbria suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?
Should you require a home loan that many years will be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.
I’m about to sell my garden flat in Cumbria. Conveyancing has not commenced, but I have just received a yearly service charge demand – Do I pay up?
It best that you discharge the invoice as you normally would as all rents and service charges should be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies 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.
Cumbria Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries before buying
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Its a good idea to discover as much as you can about the managing agents as they will either make your living at the property much simpler or a lot more difficult. As the owner of a leasehold property you are often at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to day to day issues like the cleanliness of the common parts. Ask other people if they are happy with them. On a final note, be sure you discover the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the managing agents and precisely what you get for your money. How is the lease structured? What is the service charge and ground rent on the apartment?
Builders have recommended to me a lawyer and I've obtained a quote from them. They are almost £400 less expensive than my family Cumbria conveyancing practitioner. Should I use them?
Housebuilders often have lists of solicitors who expedite matters and who know the seller’s paperwork and conveyancing practitioner. As many developers offer an inducement to use their approved lawyer for this reason, any increased fees can be avoided and a builder will not recommend a conveyancing factory and run the risk of having the transaction delayed when they require an exchange inside a month. The argument for not agreeing to use the suggested property lawyer is that they may prove reluctant to 'push' your interests at the risk of alienating the developer. If you worry that this may be the situation you should remain with your high street Cumbria conveyancer.