I am need of leasehold conveyancing for a flat in a fairly new development (seven years built) in Duston. Almost all the properties have already been disposed of. Do I need carry out the neighbourhood searches as part of conveyancing in Duston?
If you getting a loan, your lender will insist on some (many) of the searches so you'll have no choice. If not, then Duston conveyancing searches are for you to decide upon. Your solicitor, will 'advise', perhaps strongly, that you should have the searches done, but he or she is duty bound in this regard. One thing to bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future buyer what the searches contain. Sometimes houses with no practical issues can still throw up adverse search results. But if you insist that your lawyer to proceed without searches then your lawyer will have to follow your instructions or it may be necessary to instruct a new lawyer for your conveyancing in Duston.
Forgive me if this question is silly but I am new to the home moving as a first time buyer of a ground floor flat in Duston. Do I collect the keys to the house on completion from my lawyer? If so, I will use a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Duston?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will transfer the completion advance to the seller's lawyers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you will be invited to receive the keys from the property Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen early afternoon.
It is not clear whether my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have telephoned my Duston building society branch on various occasions and was told it does not impact the mortgage offer and they would lend. My Duston conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called to say that they will not lend based on their specific requirements. I have no idea who is right.
As long as the property lawyer is on the bank approved list, she or he must comply with the CML Handbook specifications for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.
After shopping around on the internet I have found a Duston property lawyer having checked that they are on the UBS conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
UBS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually UBS 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. You may wish to consider appointing your own Duston surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
How does conveyancing in Duston differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Duston come to us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is built. This is because developers in Duston tend to acquire the real estate, 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Duston or who has acted in the same development.
Given that I am about to part with hundreds of thousands of pounds on a terraced house in Duston I would like to have a conversation with the lawyer concerning thetransaction ahead of appointing the firm. Can this be arranged?
We could not agree more - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you first talking to the lawyer who will be doing your property ownership legalities in Duston.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is unique person, not a file number. The law firms that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are quoted for your conveyancing in Duston should be the figure that you end up paying.
My father-in-law has encouraged me to instruct his lawyers for conveyancing in Duston. Should I find my own conveyancer?
No doubt the best way to choose a conveyancing lawyer is to seek referrals from friends or relatives who have experience in using the solicitor that you are considering.
My brother is buying a shared ownership flat in Duston. He has received an estimate by the conveyancer suggested by the estate agents and it came to £1250 . It was fifteen years ago since I sold and bought a home and the fee was £500. Have costs really gone up that much?
What does the conveyancing estimate include? Is it just for the legal fees, or what you will be paying in total (for instance Duston searches, land registry fees, etc)