Should conveyancers ask for an advanced payment when it comes to conveyancing in Northumberland?
Where you are retaining lawyers for conveyancing in Northumberland your lawyer will request that you place them with monies to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. Normally this is asked for to cover the fees of the conveyancing searches. When the down payment is payable against the sale price then this should be asked for shortly in advance of contracts are exchanged. The final balance that is due should be sent to your lawyer a few days prior to the day of completion.
We are expecting a mortgage offer soon. The bank mentioned the home loan came with free conveyancing. Is the implication that I have to instruct their panel lawyer as I would prefer to use a high street conveyancing solicitor in Northumberland?
You should check but the chances are that appoint one of their panel solicitors if you accept the "fee-free" deal. Call the bank and determine if they make available a cash alternative. Some mortgage companies have previously offered a £250 cashback as an alternative in which case that money can go towards the cost for your conveyancing solicitor in Northumberland.
I require expedited conveyancing in Northumberland as I am faced with an ultimatum to sign on the dotted line within one month. Fortunately I do not require a mortgage. Can I decline from having conveyancing searches to save money and time?
As you are are a mortgage free purchaser you are at free not to have searches conducted although no lawyer would recommend that you don't. With lots of history conveyancing in Northumberland the following are examples of issues that can crop up and adversely affect future saleability: Refused Planning Applications, Outstanding Fees, Outstanding Grants, Road Schemes,...
I own a renovated Georgian property in Northumberland. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Nationwide Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold under the matching address. Is it worth asking Nationwide Building Society to clarify?
You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Northumberland and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the work.
I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Northumberland I like with open areas and station in the vicinity, however it only has 51 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Northumberland in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?
If you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.
Should I go with a Northumberland conveyancing practitioner who is local to the property I am buying? We have a good friend who can carry out the legal formalities but his firm is located 400kilometers drive away.
The primary upside of using a local Northumberland conveyancing firm is that you can drop in to execute paperwork, present your ID and apply pressure on them where appropriate. They will also have local insight which is a plus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who instructed your friend and on the whole were impressed that must surpass using an unfamiliar Northumberland conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being local.