I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Glastonbury. I have a mortgage offer with Bank of Ireland. 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 use 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 Bank of Ireland, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel.
The formalities of my purchase has taken place for my property in Glastonbury. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Team at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service who will take matters further.
It is unclear whether my bank requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Glastonbury bank branch on various occasions and was told it does not impact the mortgage offer and they will lend. My Glastonbury conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they would not lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I have no idea who is right.
Your lawyer must comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook Part 2 provisions for your lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
I have been told that property searches are a common reason for delay in Glastonbury conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published findings of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the top 10 causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Local searches are unlikely to feature in any slowing down conveyancing in Glastonbury.
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my house can not be found. The conveyancers who dealt with the conveyancing in Glastonbury 5 years ago have long since closed. What do I do?
As long as you have a registered title the details of your ownership will be retained by HMLR under a Title Number. It is easy to conduct a search at the Land Registry, find your house and get current copies of the property title for a small fee. If the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually hold a file copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be ordered for £20 inclusive of VAT.
How does conveyancing in Glastonbury differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Glastonbury approach us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is ready to move into. This is because house builders in Glastonbury typically 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 conveyancers 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 Glastonbury or who has acted in the same development.
I am using a search engine for the phrase on line conveyancing in Glastonbury it brings up many solicitorslocally. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right solicitor for my move?
The preferential method of choosing the right conveyancer is via personal recommendation, so enquire of colleagues and relatives who have purchased a property in Glastonbury or a reputable estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Glastonbury vary, so it's a good idea to obtain at least three estimates from different solicitors. Be sure to seek confirmation what costs in the quote includes.
My sealed bid on house in Glastonbury was agreed to, the seller does nevertheless have a dependent purchase. The owners have put an offer on on an apartment, although it’s not yet agreed to, and has viewings of other flats in the pipeline. I have instructed a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Glastonbury. What should be my next step? When do I get the mortgage application with UBS started with UBS?
It is normal to have anxieties where there is an associated chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs too early (mortgage application is in the region of £1k, then valuation, Glastonbury conveyancing search charges, etc). First, you must ensure that your solicitor is on the UBS conveyancing panel. As to the next phase this very much dictated by the uniqueness of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a buoyant market the majority of home buyers will apply for a home loan with UBS and arrange for the survey and only if it comes back ok would they pay their conveyancing practitioner to move forward with the conveyancing in Glastonbury.