I am buying property in East Dulwich. My Solicitor is not listed on the lender solicitor panel. Is it possible for me to use my East Dulwich conveyancing solicitor even though they are excluded from the bank panel?
Various options include
- Carry on with your chosen East Dulwich property lawyer but your lender will need to appoint a property lawyer on their conveyancing panel. This will result in additional cost and likely frustration.
- Get a new conveyancer to conduct the conveyancing, obviously checking they are on the bank conveyancing panel.
- Appeal to your property lawyer to attempt to join the lender panel
I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in September 2007, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Skipton are being problematic. The East Dulwich solicitor who is on the Skipton conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Skipton are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Skipton have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Skipton have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Skipton 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.
Planning on purchasing a apartment in East Dulwich. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the East Dulwich conveyancing practitioner is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.
I've digested plenty of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local East Dulwich solicitor - who is on the Nottingham conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Nottingham will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Nottingham 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 conveyancing practitioner 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 East Dulwich postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Nottingham, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in East Dulwich.
My wife and I purchased a 4 bedroom Georgian property in East Dulwich. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and The Royal Bank of Scotland. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same property. Is it worth asking The Royal Bank of Scotland to clarify?
You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in East Dulwich and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also question the situation with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the purchase.
How does conveyancing in East Dulwich differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in East Dulwich approach us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is constructed. This is because developers in East Dulwich usually purchase 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 East Dulwich or who has acted in the same development.
Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in East Dulwich in advance of instructing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. The surveyor has said that some mortgage companies will refuse to give a mortgage on a flying freehold home.
It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different instructions for example to Birmingham Midshires. If you call us we can check with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in East Dulwich. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in East Dulwich especially if they are familiar with such properties in East Dulwich.
Should I be suspicious that brokers that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a nationwide conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street East Dulwich conveyancing practice?
As with many service providers, often suggestions from family and friends can be worth their weight in gold. Yet there are lots of parties with a keen interest in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, mortgage brokers and lenders may suggest conveyancers to choose. On occasion these solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but occasionally there might be a financial incentive behind the recommendation. You have the discretion to choose your own lawyer. However, bear in mind that most banks operate an approved list of law firms you are obliged to use for the mortgage related work in your house move.