My husband and I are looking to acquire a flat in Haverhill and have instructed a Haverhill conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report with a view to exchanging next week. Norwich and Peterborough Building Society have this afternoon contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our Haverhill lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. What do we do from here?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Haverhill lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.
I am purchasing a semi-detached house in Haverhill. How practical is it for me to do the conveyancing?
Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Haverhill you will have to appoint a solicitor on your bank's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Haverhill.
What is the difference between a licensed conveyancer and conveyancing solicitor in Haverhill
There are many recorded licenced Conveyancers in Haverhill and Solicitor firms in Haverhill who provide Conveyancing services We would stress that both are supervised by regulatory bodies with both specialising in the legal aspects of the home buying process. They may both also deal with associated property related work such as remortgage conveyancing, lease extensions and transfer of equity conveyancing.
I am assisting my step-mother sell her flat in Haverhill. Will the conveyancing solicitor arrange an EPC or it is for the seller to see to?
After the abolition of Home Packs, energy performance certificates was kept a compulsory part of selling a house. An energy assessment must be to hand in advance of the property being placed on the market. This is not something that lawyers normally arrange. Where you are using a Haverhill conveyancing practitioner they may be able to arrange energy performance certificates due to their contacts with long established local energy assessors
We have agreed to purchase a house in Haverhill. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Coventry BS have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
As your lender is Coventry BS your lawyer must follow the conveyancing instructions set out in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Coventry BS. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Coventry BS where a lease fails to satisfy these conditions. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not limited to Haverhill.
What will a local search tell me regarding the property we're buying in Haverhill?
Haverhill conveyancing often starts with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search company for example PSG The local search is essential in every Haverhill conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any unpleasant surprises after you move into your property. The search will supply information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (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 sections.
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our home can not be found. The solicitors who handled the conveyancing in Haverhill 10 years ago no longer exist. Will I be able to sell the house?
Gone are the days when you need to hold title official documentation to establish that you are the registered proprietor of land or premises, as the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.
How does conveyancing in Haverhill differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Haverhill approach us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is finished. This is because new home sellers in Haverhill tend to purchase 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 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 Haverhill or who has acted in the same development.