I am acquiring a house mortgage free in Hitchin. I have lived for the last 15 years in Hitchin. Conveyancing searches are a lot of money. As I have knowledge of the area and road intimately must I have all the conveyancing searches?
In the absence of a mortgage, then all but one or two of the Hitchin conveyancing searches are at your discretion. Your solicitor will ’encourage you, no-doubt strongly, that you should have searches carried out, but she is duty bound to do this. One thing to take into account; if you are going to dispose of the house one day, it could be of interest to your future buyer what the searches reveal. There are plenty of instances where premises with functional issues can still throw up negative search results. A competent conveyancing solicitor in Hitchin should provide you some helpful guidance in this regard.
It is a dozen years since I bought my property in Hitchin. Conveyancing lawyers have now been retained on the sale but I am unable to find my title deeds. Will this cause complications?
Don’t worry too much. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be retained by your mortgage company or they could be in the possession of the solicitor who handled the purchase. Secondly in most cases the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring current official copies of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Hitchin involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
Will commercial conveyancing searches disclose impending roadworks that could impact a commercial premises in Hitchin?
Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Hitchin will carry out a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers expend in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Hitchin. The report provides definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Hitchin.
For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Hitchin it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can cause delays to Hitchin commercial conveyancing deals as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not ordered for residential conveyancing in Hitchin.
How does conveyancing in Hitchin differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Hitchin come to us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is ready to move into. This is because builders in Hitchin usually buy 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 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 used to new build conveyancing in Hitchin or who has acted in the same development.
I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing solicitor in Hitchin for my remortgage. Is there any facility to see a solicitor's record with the legal regulator?
Members of the public may search for published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions resulting from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For details Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA could monitor telephone calls for training requirements.
I have read on various online forums that before choosing a conveyancing firm they must be approved by your lender. It happens to be my first home move but I have an AIP via Virgin Money and I already have a family conveyancing solicitor in Hitchin lined up. Does Virgin Money need an approved lawyer to be selected? If so, where do I find that list for my conveyancing in Hitchin?
You should use a solicitor that is on the Virgin Money panel. The simplest thing to do is call your preferred Hitchin conveyancing lawyer to check if they are on the Virgin Money panel. If they are not approved you have a number of choices open to you here:
- Carry on with your preferred Hitchin conveyancing practitioner but Virgin Money will undoubtedly retain a property lawyer on their approved list. This will result in additional cost together with potential frustration.
- Get a new conveyancing practitioner to conduct the conveyancing, not forgetting to check that they are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.
- Appeal to your lawyer to seek to join the lender panel.