We are intending to buy a 1 bedroom apartment in Fenton with a mortgage. We have a Fenton lawyer, but the lender says she’s not on their "panel". It appears that we have little option but to appoint one of the lender panel conveyancing practices or continue with our Fenton conveyancer as well as pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Fenton conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
We note that you have a search directory identifying law firms on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a commission if I retain them for our own conveyancing in Fenton?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Co-operative conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Fenton.
My husband and I have arranged a further advance on our mortgage from TSB as we intend to conduct renovations to our house in Fenton. Are we obliged to appoint a local Fenton solicitor on the TSB conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?
TSB do not ordinarily appoint firms on their approved list of lawyers 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 TSB list.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Fenton. I have a mortgage offer with UBS. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with UBS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the UBS conveyancing panel.
The mortgage over my property is with Barclays for my property in Fenton. Conveyancing was finalised some time ago. In the event that I decide to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Barclays?
You must advise Barclays before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Barclays’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Barclays will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Barclays directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Barclays conveyancing panel lawyer.
How does conveyancing in Fenton differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Fenton contact us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is finished. This is because new home sellers in Fenton tend to acquire the land, 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 used to new build conveyancing in Fenton or who has acted in the same development.
Is it possible to change firm as I have to choose a firm on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing list. I hired a local conveyancing solicitor in Fenton round the corner but he is not approved by Chelsea Building Society
We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in Fenton on the Chelsea Building Society panel. Please note that the property lawyers that we list do not pay us a referral fee if you instruct them and are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Fenton. In making use of search facility on this website, you can compare fees for conveyancing solicitors in Fenton and beyond.
At what point do I cover the costs of stamp duty due for my Fenton property purchase?
Your lawyer will fill out a stamp duty return for you during your Fenton conveyancing transaction for you to sign. After completion your solicitor will submit the STL application to the Tax Authorities and - as long as they have the funds - discharge any land tax due for you.