Unfortunately I am unable to travel far from Oldham. Is there a reason why all Oldham conveyancing practitioners are not on all bank panels?
Banks tend to restrict either the nature or volume of conveyancing practices on their panel. Frequent examples of such restriction(s) being that the firm must have at least two partners. As well as restricting the nature of firm, some banks for instance HSBC made a decision to reduce the size of their panel they allow to represent them. You should note that mortgage companies have no responsibility for the accuracy of service provided by any Oldham conveyancing practitioner on their approved list. Property fraud was a key driver in the rationalisation of solicitor panels a few years ago even though there are contrary thoughts concerning whether solicitors sat at the center of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry exposes that thousands of conveyancing firms only carry out one or two conveyances a year. Those supporting conveyancing panel cuts question why conveyancing firms deserve any entitlement to be listed on a bank panel when clearly conveyancing is not their primary expertise?
We are acquiring a new build duplex in Oldham and my solicitor is informing me that she is duty bound to the mortgage company to reveal incentives from the seller. I am on a tight deadline to exchange contracts and my preference is not to delay the conveyancing. Is my lawyer right?
You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your conveyancer. A precondition to being on a lender panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
We're in Oldham, FTBs purchasing with a mortgage (lender is UBS , and our lawyer is on the UBS conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the UBS conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no property lawyer should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.
I can see plenty of information on this site regarding conveyancing in Oldham but what is your top tip for finding the right conveyancer in Oldham
It would be unwise to be swayed by the lowest Oldham conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of the deal.
I am purchasing a end of terrace house in Oldham. We would like to carry out a loft conversion at the property.Will legal investigations on the property include enquiries to ascertain if these alterations were previously refused?
Your solicitor will check the deeds as conveyancing in Oldham can sometimes identify restrictions in the title deeds which prohibit certain changes or necessitated the permission of a 3rd party. Many works need local authority planning consent and approval under the building regulations. Certain locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or affect extensions. It would be sensible to check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Oldham off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with HSBC. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with HSBC, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the HSBC conveyancing panel.
I am purchasing a new build house in Oldham with the aid of help to buy. The developers refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The property agent advised me not to tell my lawyer about the extras as it will put at risk my loan 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.
What is different about your site and other online quote calculators for conveyancing in Oldham?
At this site get a fixed fee quote from a Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer that appreciates the issues for your conveyancing in Oldham. As opposed to estate agents and many comparison sites we are not in the business of charging firms a fee if you instruct them for your home move in Oldham