Is the fact that my conveyancer in Cumbria is not identified on my bank's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of the firm’s work?
That would more than likely be an incorrect assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly plausible explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Where you are concerned you should contact the Cumbria conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.
If you had a top tip for selecting a conveyancing solicitor in Cumbria what would it be?
Do not opt for the cheapest Cumbria conveyancing quote. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. 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 the deal.
I am buying a detached bungalow in Cumbria. Our aim is to carry out a loft conversion at the house.Will the conveyancing process involve investigations to ascertain if these works were previously refused?
Your conveyancer will review the deeds as conveyancing in Cumbria will occasionally identify restrictions in the title deeds which prohibit categories of changes or necessitated the consent of another owner. Some additions need local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Some locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Cumbria. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers. I paid an upfront payment of £175. A couple of days later, the solicitor contacted me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the HSBC 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 HSBC 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.
Various online forums that I have visited warn that are the primary cause of obstruction in Cumbria conveyancing transactions. Is that correct?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the common causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Searches are unlikely to feature in any delay in conveyancing in Cumbria.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Cumbria?
Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Cumbria. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £305k and identified one near me in Cumbria I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it's only got 49 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Cumbria in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?
If you require a mortgage that many years may be problematic. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.
Our financial adviser has recommended their solicitor for our conveyancing in Cumbria - Surely it’s easier to just instruct them?
It is not always the case and you are entitled to use whichever lawyer of your choosing for your Cumbria home move. A solicitor suggested by a 3rd party adviser may not necessarily be the right solicitor, they may suggest their preferred conveyancing firm who are based far away. In this instance you may not have contact with your solicitor and due to the lack of continuity in the transaction, it may be difficult to obtain updates.