I am one month into the sale of my ground floor flat in Evesham and the estate agent has just telephoned to warn that the purchasers are switching solicitor. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only engage with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a leading mortgage company only work with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Evesham ?
UK lenders have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for over 25 years.
Lenders attribute this action to a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your purchasers are not going to have any impact on this.
I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Evesham. My lender is Accord Mortgages
Accord Mortgages have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 10/11/2024, the requirements read as follows :
If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Evesham what would it be?
We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Evesham conveyancing fees. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. 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 go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.
I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in September 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Nationwide are being pedantic. The Evesham solicitor who is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Nationwide are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Nationwide have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Nationwide have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Nationwide 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.
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 Evesham solicitor - who is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Nationwide will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Nationwide 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 Evesham 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.
Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal proposed roadworks that could affect a commercial premises in Evesham?
Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Evesham will perform a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers spend in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Evesham. The search result sets out definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Evesham.
For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Evesham it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately may result in delays to Evesham commercial conveyancing deals as well as pose a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not ordered for domestic conveyancing in Evesham.
My business partner and I are wishing to lease a unit on the high street. Can you recommend solicitors offering no-sale-no charges for commercial conveyancing in Evesham for less than 2k?
We can recommend firms who have an in-depth of experience of commercial conveyancing in Evesham, including the disposal and purchase of businesses as well as simply premises. Whether you are intending to buy or sell a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail unit or a complete business we can put you in touch with the right solicitor. Regarding the costs these will vary based on the structure and complexity of the deal. Let us have your details or call us so that we may supply you with a fixed commercial conveyancing calculation.
We are in the middle of buying a residence in Evesham. Conveyancing lawyer has called to say the property is "Leasehold". Will this likely impact the salability of the house?
Evesham conveyancing does not usually involve leasehold houses. The crucial consideration here is the length of lease and the ground rent. If it's 999 years with a peppercorn rent, it's virtually freehold, so it shouldn't impact the saleability significantly.
At the other extreme, if it's, say, fifty five years it will have a adverse effect on the saleability, and probably wouldn't be acceptable to the mortgage company. The remaining lease term and ground rent will be specified in the lease provided to your conveyancing practitioner.