Much to our surprise we have been informed by our estate agent that my Easton property lawyer is not on the mortgage company Solicitor panel. How can I be sure that this is correct?
Your first step should be to call your Easton lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they may be able to suggest a Easton conveyancing practice that is on the approved list of lawyers for your lender.
We see that you have a search directory identifying firms on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a referral fee if I retain them for our conveyancing in Easton?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Easton.
Is it necessary during the course of the conveyancing process to pop into the offices of the solicitor to sign the mortgage deed? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Easton so that I can pop in to their offices if necessary.
These days conveyancing panel lawyers for lenders undertake the vast majority of work via the post, e-mail or over phone calls. This means that they can undertake the legal work for your home move regardless of where you live in England or Wales. Nevertheless you can see if you can still book an appointment to visit conveyancing lawyer if just in case this is required.
My wife and I buying a terrace house in Easton. We would like to carry out a loft conversion at the property.Will legal due diligence on the property involve checks to see if these alterations are permitted?
Your property lawyer will review the registered title as conveyancing in Easton will on occasion reveal restrictions in the title deeds which restrict categories of alterations or need the consent of another owner. Some additions call for local authority planning consent and approval in accordance building regulations. Many locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. It would be wise to check these issues with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.
We are getting a further advance on our home loan from Clydesdale as we want to carry out alterations to our home in Easton. Are we obliged to select a nearby Easton solicitor on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Clydesdale do not ordinarily instruct a member of their conveyancing panel to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Clydesdale panel.
I've digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Easton solicitor - who is on the TSB conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
TSB will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually TSB 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 Easton postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with TSB, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Easton.
Various online forums that I have visited warn that are the primary reason for hinderance in Easton house deals. Is this right?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published findings of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the most frequent causes of hindrances during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are unlikely to feature in any slowing down conveyancing in Easton.
Why do I have to provide my solicitor with a list of items of identification before I can proceed with selling or purchasing a property in Easton?
Easton conveyancers are obliged by the Law Society, SRA, HMLR and current AML Regulations to certify that the have verified the identity of their clients. It will also be a condition of your bank where you are obtaining a mortgage. Furthermore they have to complete various forms, particularly those relating to Land Tax and need to have information such as your full names, national insurance number and DOB.