Me and my partner are intending to purchase a 3 bedroom apartment in Harlesden with a mortgage. We wish to retain our Harlesden lawyer, however the mortgage company advise he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the mortgage company panel solicitors or keep our Harlesden solicitor as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to act for them. This feels very unfair; are we not able to insist that the lender use our Harlesden conveyancing practitioner ?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’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. A further alternative is for your Harlesden conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
We are expecting a mortgage offer soon. The lender mentioned the loan came with free conveyancing. Does this mean I have to appoint their panel solicitor as I would prefer to appoint a specialised conveyancing solicitor in Harlesden?
You should check but the chances are that allocate you one of their panel conveyancers should you want the "fee-free" offer. Contact the lender to explore if they offer you a monetary alternative. It is not unheard for a lender to give a £250 cashback as an alternative in which case that money can go towards your preferred conveyancing solicitor in Harlesden.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Harlesden I like with a park and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 49 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Harlesden suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?
If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease may be an issue. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you could request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.
I'm refinancing my existing property to a BTL mortgage with The Royal Bank of Scotland and I will use the ballance of the raised equity as a down payment on a second house. The location we are looking at is Harlesden. Will your lawyers be able to act for both sets of mortgage companies and link together the transactions?
Do use our comparison tool on this site to ensure that the solicitors are on the appropriate lender panels. On the basis that they are your conveyancer should be able to tie up the two deals but you should have a chat with you conveyancer and communicate your desired outcome and requirements.
I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in Harlesden. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed. Will they explain the issues?
The majority of houses in Harlesden are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Harlesden in which case you should be looking for a Harlesden conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.
I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord to extend my lease without getting anywhere. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on such issues? Can you recommend a Harlesden conveyancing firm to represent me?
Most certainly. We are happy to put you in touch with a Harlesden conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Harlesden flat is First Floor Flat 2B Fortune Gate Road in May 2013. the tribunal decided that the price payable for the lease extension was £9,331, together with £900 in respect of outstanding ground rent. This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 74.31 years.
What type of property do your Harlesden conveyancing quotes relate to?
The quotes provided are only applicable to standard residential homes in England & Wales. If you have any different requirements for example industrial or agricultural property or commercial conveyancing in Harlesden please telephone us to discuss your requirements .