Unfortunately I am unable to travel far from Lichfield. Is there a reason why all Lichfield conveyancing practitioners aren't included on all bank panels?
Even though it may seem unfair for banks to limit who can represent them, from the public’s or conveyancer’s point of view, the flip side is that lenders are becoming ever more anxious and feel it crucial to shield themselves against illegal activities. As a result of this concern lenders are limiting their conveyancing panel to a size that they are happy to control.
My offer was accepted on a house in Lichfield on 4/6/2025, valuation was booked five days later, received a clean bill of health. Property lawyer appointed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to RBS and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the RBS conveyancing panel. Are RBS entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for RBS to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the RBS conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
I've read lots of house buying guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Lichfield solicitor - who is on the Principality conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Principality will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Principality 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. You may wish to consider appointing your own Lichfield surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
After what feels like an age I have had an offer on a flat in Lichfield accepted, but there is a chain. The vendors have offered on a property, but it’s not yet tied up, and are looking at other flats in the pipeline. I have instructed a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Lichfield. What do I do now? When do I get the mortgage application with Yorkshire BS going?
It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses prematurely (mortgage application is in the region of £1k, then survey, Lichfield conveyancing search costs, etc). The first course of action is to ensure that your conveyancer is on the Yorkshire BS approved list. As to the subsequent stages this very much depends on the uniqueness of your case, desire for the property and on the state of the market. During a hot market many buyers would apply for a home loan with Yorkshire BS and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their conveyancing practitioner to proceed with searches.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Lichfield?
Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Lichfield. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I put an offer in last month in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Lichfield is where the house is located. Can you offer any advice?
Flying freeholds in Lichfield are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Lichfield you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Lichfield may decide 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 property.
I'm converting the mortgage on my current house to a BTL loan with Virgin Money and intend to use the remaining equity as a deposit on another property. The area we are looking at is Lichfield. Will your lawyers be able to act for both sets of lenders and tie in the conveyances?
Do use our search tool on this page to check that the lawyers are on the relevant lender panels. On the basis that they are the solicitor will be able to tie up the two deals but you should talk with you lawyer and make clear your desired outcome and requirements.
Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Lichfield conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?
If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Lichfield conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggest that you make enquires with several firms including non Lichfield conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be of use:
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Can they put you in touch with clients in Lichfield who can give a testimonial? What volume of lease extensions have they carried out in Lichfield in the last 12 months?
Lichfield Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing
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Is there a share of the freehold? How many years are left on the lease? The majority of Lichfield leasehold flats will incur a service charge for the upkeep of the building invoiced on behalf of the management company. Should you buy the apartment you will have to meet this liability, usually in instalments accross the year. This can vary from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built buildings. In all probability there will be a rentcharge to be met annual, this is usually not a exorbitant figure, say around £25-£75 but you should to check as occasionally it could be many hundreds of pounds.