My home in Haywards Heath is up for sale and I have a buyer. Will my solicitor need to be required to be on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their specifications fairly frequently currently.
Will our conveyancer be raising questions about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Haywards Heath.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors specialising in conveyancing in Haywards Heath. There are those who purchase a house in Haywards Heath, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the purchaser.
Solicitors are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, however there are a number of searches that may be initiated by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which should give them a better appreciation of the risks in Haywards Heath. The conventional set of information sent to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a usual inquiry of the seller to discover if the property has historically flooded. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not notified by the vendor, then a buyer could bring a compensation claim as a result of such an misleading reply. A buyer’s conveyancers should also carry out an environmental report. This will indicate if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional investigations will need to be made.
I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and found one near me in Haywards Heath I like with a park and railway links nearby, however it only has 49 years on the lease. There is not much else in Haywards Heath suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?
Should you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.
I was recommended by three or four local selling agents in Haywards Heath to locate a property lawyer using your seach tool. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to recommend your services over and above another?
We refuse to make any commission for pointing buyers and sellers in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission as members of the public would think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.
Should I choose a Haywards Heath conveyancing lawyer who is local to the property I am hoping to buy? An old friend can conduct the legal formalities however her office is 200miles away.
The benefit of a high street Haywards Heath conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to sign documents, deliver your identification documents and apply pressure on them if necessary. Having local Haywards Heath know how is a benefit. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who used your friend and on the whole were happy that should trump using an unknown Haywards Heath conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being local.
My partner and I have just had an offer accepted on our first home in Haywards Heath, and need to get solicitors instructed. We have utilised the different rating based websites and the results are from all over the England and Wales. Is it essential to have a Haywards Heath property lawyer local to the prospective new home? We are willing to do all the communicating electronically, but I assume at some stage we may need to visit the property lawyer's office to sign contracts?
The solicitor does not have to be in Haywards Heath, but choosing local means that you have the option to visit their offices if you need to, for instance, if a signature is immediately necessary. Also, a Haywards Heath solicitor is likely to be familiar with local agents and (if the vendor has chosen a local property lawyer) with them, which should help keep things moving faster.