I am need of leasehold conveyancing for a flat in a fairly new development (five years old) in Gower. Almost all the flats have already been sold. Is it really necessary to order conveyancing searches as part of conveyancing in Gower?
If you are purchasing a property with the assistance of a mortgage, your bank will insist on some (many) of the searches so you'll have no choice. If not, then Gower conveyancing searches are optional. No doubt your conveyancer, will 'advise', perhaps in the strongest possible terms, that you should have the searches done, but he or she is duty bound in this regard. One thing to bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future buyer what the searches contain. Sometimes houses with no practical issues can still throw up adverse search results. But if you demand that your lawyer to proceed without searches then your lawyer will have to follow your instructions or ask you to appoint a different lawyer for your conveyancing in Gower.
My fiance and I decided to purchase a 2 bedroom flat in Gower with a homeloan from Clydesdale.We use our Gower conveyancing lawyer but Clydesdale informed us she’s not listed on their "panel". we are left little option but to use a Clydesdale panel lawyer or retain our preferred solicitor and pay for a Clydesdale panel lawyer to act for them. We feel as though this is unjust; Can we not simply insist that Clydesdale use our lawyer?
No, not really. The home loan issued to you contains terms and conditions, a common one being that conveyancers must be on the Clydesdale approved list. in the past, most mortgage companies had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could find 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 lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Clydesdale
Is it the case that all Gower conveyancing solicitors on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?
As solicitors, in order to be on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the SRA. Many banks do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
We had chosen conveyancing lawyers locally in Gower on the Principality solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me an additional sum for dealing with the Principality mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by Principality?
As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your conveyancer may levy a fee for this. This charge is not dictated by Principality but by your Gower conveyancer. Some firms on the Principality panel will quote ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.
About to purchase house in Gower. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Gower property lawyer is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel.
I know that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Do I require this when acquiring a residence in Gower? or Apparently there is an ancient law that means some house owners residing in a parish church boundary may be liable to contribute towards repairs to the chancel within the church. Is this appropriate for conveyancing in Gower?
Unless a previous acquisition of the premises took place after 12 October 2013 you can assume that lawyers carrying out conveyancing in Gower to continue to advocate a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
How does conveyancing in Gower differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Gower contact us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is completed. This is because developers in Gower tend to acquire the real estate, 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 used to new build conveyancing in Gower or who has acted in the same development.
Am I best advised to go with a Gower conveyancing lawyer in close proximity to the house I am purchasing? I have an old university friend who can handle the conveyancing but they are based over three hundred kilometers away.
The benefit of a local Gower conveyancing firm is that you can drop in to execute paperwork, hand in your ID and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local intelligence which is a benefit. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have used your friend and they were happy that must outweigh using an unfamiliar Gower conveyancing lawyer just because they are local.