We're in Great Baddow, First time buyers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is Nottingham , and our lawyer is on the Nottingham conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the Nottingham conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no lawyer should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.
I am close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our property in Great Baddow and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was built land that was not decontaminated. A local lawyer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers used an online conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Great Baddow. We have lived in Great Baddow for 5 years we know that this is a non issue. Should we contact our local Authority to obtain confirmation need.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. What do they say? You need to check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our property are lost. The solicitors who conducted the conveyancing in Great Baddow 5 years ago have long since closed. What are my next steps?
Assuming you have a registered title the information relating to your ownership will be held by HMLR with a Title Number. It is possible to execute a search at the Land Registry, locate your house and order current copies of the property title for less than a fiver. If the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will also normally retain a file copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for £20 inclusive of VAT.
How does conveyancing in Great Baddow differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Great Baddow come to us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is built. This is because house builders in Great Baddow usually 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 property lawyers 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 Great Baddow or who has acted in the same development.
My father has urged me to appoint his lawyers for conveyancing in Great Baddow. Should I use them?
There are no two ways about it it’s preferable to find a conveyancing lawyer is to get feedback from friends or family who have actually experience in using the solicitor you're are thinking of instructing.
Our solicitor in Great Baddow has identified a defect with the lease for the flat we are buying in Great Baddow. The other side have offered defective title insurance as a workaround. We are content with insurance and will cover the costs. Our lawyer says that as he is on the bank conveyancing panel he must check that the lender is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the bank?
Just because you have a mortgage offer from the bank does not mean to say that the property will be meet their requirements for the purposes of a mortgage. Your Great Baddow conveyancing lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Requirements. You and the lender are the client. The appropriate lender requirements must be adhered to by the lender conveyancing panel who has to balance acting for you and the mortgage company