It is 10 years ago since I bought my house in Downend. Conveyancing solicitors have just been appointed on the sale but I can't locate my title deeds. Is this a major issue?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be retained by your mortgage company or they could stored with the solicitor who acted in your purchase. Secondly in most cases the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Downend relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your home is not registered it is more tricky but is resolvable.
We are buying a 3 bedroom semi in Downend. Our aim is to carry out a loft conversion at the property.Will legal work on the property include checks to ascertain if these alterations are allowed?
Your conveyancer will review the deeds as conveyancing in Downend will sometimes identify restrictions in the title deeds which prohibit certain works or require the consent of a 3rd party. Many works require local authority planning permissions 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 before you commit yourself to a purchase.
My partner and I have organised a further advance on our home loan from TSB as we wish to carry out renovations to our property in Downend. Are we obliged to choose a nearby Downend solicitor on the TSB conveyancing panel to handle the legals?
TSB don't usually instruct a member of their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the TSB panel.
I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in July 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Barclays are being pedantic. The Downend solicitor who is on the Barclays conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Barclays are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Barclays have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Barclays have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Barclays may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
We are purchasing a property and the lawyer has identified Chancel Repair to which the property could be liable because it falls into the area of such a church. She has mentioned insurance. Is this really warranted for conveyancing in Downend
Unless a previous purchase of the premises took place post 12 October 2013 you can take it that lawyers handling conveyancing in Downend to remain encouraging a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.
I'm buying my first flat in Downend with the aid of help to buy. The sellers would not budge the amount so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The sale representative suggested that I not disclose to my conveyancer about this side-deal as it may affect my loan with HSBC Bank. Should I keep quiet?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and found one close by in Downend I like with amenity areas and station nearby, however it only has 61 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Downend suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?
Should you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for at least 2 years you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this.
As co-executor for the estate of my grandfather I am selling a residence in Neath but live in Downend. My lawyer (who is 260 kilometers awayrequires that I sign a stat dec ahead of the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Downend to witness this legal document for me?
Technically speaking you are unlikely to need to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are Downend based