My property lawyer in Hereford is not listed on the Santander Solicitor Panel. Can I still use my family solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the Santander list of approved lawyers?
The limited options available to you here include:
- Complete the purchase with your existing Hereford lawyers but Santander will need to use a solicitor on their list of acceptable firms. This will inevitably rack up the total legal fees and result in frustration.
- Choose an alternative solicitor to to deal with the conveyancing, remembering to check they are Santander approved.
- Persuade your Santander solicitor to attempt to join the Santander panel
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from Skipton as we wish to conduct renovations to our property in Hereford. Are we obliged to appoint a nearby Hereford solicitor on the Skipton conveyancing panel to handle the legals?
Skipton don't usually instruct firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Skipton list.
I have paid off my mortgage with Co-operative. I assume I don't need a Hereford conveyancing practitioner on the Co-operative panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Co-operative mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Co-operative mortgage from the register. Co-operative, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Co-operative has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Co-operative has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I have instructed a Hereford lawyer having checked that they are on the Santander conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
Santander will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Santander will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your conveyancing practitioner will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Hereford postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Santander, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Hereford.
How does conveyancing in Hereford differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Hereford come to us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is finished. This is because new home sellers in Hereford usually acquire the site, 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 Hereford or who has acted in the same development.
Should I be wary that estate agents that I am dealing with are suggesting a web based conveyancing firm rather than a local Hereford conveyancing practice?
As with lots of service providers, often referrals from family and friends can be worth their weight in gold. But there are many players in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, financial adviser and banks may put forward lawyers to instruct. Sometimes these solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but sometimes there behind the scenes commercial relationship behind the endorsement. You are at liberty to choose your own lawyer. However, bear in mind that some banks operate an approved list of law firms you have to use for the lender aspect of your conveyancing.
I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor for purchase conveyancing in Hereford. I have stumble across a web site which appears to be the ideal solution If there is a chance to get all formalities done via phone that would be ideal. Do I need to be concerned? What are the potential pitfalls?
As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?
How much will conveyancing in Hereford cost?
The total sum charged for Hereford conveyancing charges can differ considerably from lawyer to lawyer. In the circumstances it especially necessary for you to have a complete breakdown of costs when you first appoint a lawyer. It is advisable to find two or more fee estimate.