I am buying a property in Folkestone. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Lloyds have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
As your lender is Lloyds your lawyer must check the conveyancing instructions set out in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Lloyds. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook includes minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Lloyds where a lease does not meet these provisions. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not limited to Folkestone.
We expect to receive a AIP from RBS this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do RBS recommend any Folkestone solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?
You will need to appoint Folkestone solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the RBS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and RBS through the process.
Having 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 Folkestone solicitor - who is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Clydesdale will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Clydesdale 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 Folkestone 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.
What does a local search inform me regarding the house my wife and I buying in Folkestone?
Folkestone conveyancing often starts with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search company such as Onsearch The local search is essential in every Folkestone conveyancing purchase; that is if you don’t want any unpleasant once you have moved into your new home. The search should reveal information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen topic sections.
I used Action Conveyancing a few years ago for my conveyancing in Folkestone. I now require my file but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Folkestone of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £305k and identified one round the corner in Folkestone I like with a park and transport links nearby, however it only has 52 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Folkestone in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?
If you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.
Hoping to buy a property located in Folkestone and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Folkestone. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Folkestone area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?
Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Folkestone. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found
My friend mentioned that when choosing a conveyancing solicitors they need approved by your mortgage company. I am new to the process but I have an AIP via Halifax and I already have a bricks and morter conveyancing solicitor in Folkestone in place. Does Santander need an approved conveyancer to be used? If so, where do I find that list for my conveyancing in Folkestone?
You need to instruct a solicitor that is on the Santander panel. Just ring your chosen Folkestone conveyancing lawyer to check if they are on the Santander panel. If they are not approved you have a couple of options open to you here:
- Carry on with your chosen Folkestone conveyancer but Santander will no doubt appoint a conveyancer from their conveyancing panel. This will result in additional fees and probable delay.
- Get a fresh property lawyer to act in the purchase, obviously checking they are on the Santander conveyancing panel.
- Convince your conveyancer to apply to join the lender panel.