I am assisting my niece sell her property in Meopham. Does the conveyancing solicitor arrange an EPC or should I organise this?
Following the demise of HIPs, energy performance certificates remained a required element of selling a property. An energy performance certificate needs to be commissioned prior to the property being marketed. It is not as aspect of the sale process that conveyancers normally organise. Where you are instructing a Meopham conveyancing lawyer they may be willing to arrange energy performance certificates given their relationships with long established Meopham assessors
I am purchasing a property in Meopham. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Co-operative have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
As you are obtaining a mortgage with Co-operative your lawyer must follow the conveyancing instructions outlined in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Co-operative. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Co-operative where a lease does not comply with these provisions. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not limited to Meopham.
My fiancee and I are in the process of viewing flats in Meopham and I am about to put in an offer. Is it sensible to have a conveyancer on ‘stand by’? I intend to finance via a mortgage with Co-operative.
It would be advisable to commence your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the EA. Given that you are seeking a mortgage with Co-operative, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Co-operative conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
It has been three months since my purchase conveyancing in Meopham took place. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £215,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the property from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
I'm purchasing my first flat in Meopham with a loan from Skipton Building Society. The developers would not move on the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The property agent told me not disclose to my solicitor about the extras as it may put at risk my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £305k and identified one round the corner in Meopham I like with a park and transport links nearby, the downside is that it only has 61 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Meopham in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?
If you need a mortgage that many years may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.
I am 14 days into a freehold purchase having been recommend to a firm by the high street agent to carry out the conveyancing in Meopham. I am not happy. Could you you assist me in finding new solicitors?
They would have to be really poor to suggest changing them. Has your loan offer been generated? If so you will need to advise them of the new contact details and have the mortgage documents are re-sent. Your new solicitor ideally should be on the banks approved list to avoid added charges and frustration. So that should be your first question of the new solicitors. The search tool can help you find a bank approved solicitor for your home move in Meopham
Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Meopham conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?
When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Meopham conveyancing practice) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you speak with two or three firms including non Meopham conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be helpful:
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How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation? If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
Meopham Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should consider before Purchasing
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If a Meopham lease has fewer than 80 years it will impact the salability of the flat. It is worth checking with your mortgage company that they are content with the length of the lease. A short lease means that you will most likely have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of what this will be. Remember, in most cases you will be be obliged to have owned the property for a couple of years before you are eligible to extend the lease. Is anyone aware of any major works on the horizon that will increase the maintenance fees? What restrictions exist in the Meopham Lease?