This question may be naive but I am wet behind the ears as a first time purchaser of a ground floor flat in Hastings. Do I pick up the keys to the premises on the completion date from my conveyancer? If so, I will use a local conveyancing solicitor in Hastings?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will transfer the completion advance to the owner’s lawyers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you should be called to collect the keys from the selling Agents and move into your new home. Usually this occurs between 1 and 3pm.
We previously appointed solicitors located in Hastings on the UBS solicitor panel. They are now charging me a further fee for handling the UBS mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by UBS?
As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your conveyancer may levy a fee for this. This fee is not set by UBS but by your Hastings conveyancing practitioner. Numerous firms on the UBS panel will levy an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.
How can we tell if a Hastings conveyancing solicitor on the Kent Reliance panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Hastings obtaining recommendations is a good starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advocate that you speak with the solicitor handling your conveyancing.
What does a local search inform me regarding the house we're purchasing in Hastings?
Hastings conveyancing often starts with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search organisations for example Searches UK The local search plays a central role in most Hastings conveyancing purchase; that is if you don’t want any unpleasant surprises after you move into your new home. The search should provide information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (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 areas.
I'm purchasing my first flat in Hastings with a mortgage from Alliance & Leicester . The builders refused to move on the price so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative told me not reveal to my solicitor about the side-deal as it will put at risk my mortgage with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I put an offer in two weeks back in what was supposed to be a quick, chain free conveyancing. Hastings is the location of the property. Can you offer any assistance?
Flying freeholds in Hastings are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Hastings you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Hastings may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.
I am looking into buying my first house which is in Hastings and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Hastings. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Hastings area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?
Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Hastings. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found
I work for a long established estate agent office in Hastings where we have witnessed a number of flat sales jeopardised as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local Hastings conveyancing solicitors. Can you clarify whether the owner of a flat can commence the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?
Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser need not have to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or at the same time as completion of the sale.
An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.
Leasehold Conveyancing in Hastings - Sample of Queries before buying
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The majority of Hastings leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service charge for maintenance of the building invoiced on behalf of the freeholder. Where you buy the apartment you will have to pay this contribution, normally in instalments accross the year. This can be anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common grounds. In all likelihood there will be a ground rent for you to pay annual, this is usually not a significant amount, say about £50-£100 but you should to enquire as sometimes it can be surprisingly expensive. Can you inform me if there are any major works on the horizon that could add a premium to the maintenance charges?