We are selling our apartment in Orpington. Will my conveyancer need to be required to be on the HSBC conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the HSBC conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their specifications fairly frequently currently.
Various online forums that I have come across warn that are the number one reason for obstruction in Orpington house deals. Is there any truth in this?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the common causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Searches are not likely to be the root cause of slowing down conveyancing in Orpington.
Just acquired a semi-detached house in Orpington , What is the estimated time for the Land Registry to record the transfer to my name? My Orpington conveyancing solicitor works at snail pace, so I want to be sure that my purchase is registered.
There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in Orpington registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can adjust subject to who lodges the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry must send notices to any 3rd parties. At present in the region of three quarters of such applications are fully dealt with within two weeks but some can be subject to extensive hold-ups. Historically registration takes place once the new owner is living at the property therefore an expedited registration is not always an essential issue but where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your solicitor could contact the land registry and explain the circumstances.
How does conveyancing in Orpington differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Orpington contact us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is built. This is because builders in Orpington typically buy the land, 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 Orpington or who has acted in the same development.
I was advised by a few selling agents in Orpington to choose a property lawyer using your seach tool. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to recommend your lawyers rather than another?
We refuse to offer any financial incentive for sending work in our direction. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission because a client could think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.
What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Orpington conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?
If you are instructing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Orpington conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you speak with two or three firms including non Orpington conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions could be of use:
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Can they put you in touch with clients in Orpington who can give a testimonial? How many lease extensions has the firm conducted in Orpington in the last twenty four months?
I am the leaseholder of a ground floor flat in Orpington. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the sum due for a lease extension?
Most definitely. We can put you in touch with a Orpington conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Orpington property is 1 Southlands Court Southlands Road in September 2013. The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal determined that the premium to be paid by the tenant on the grant of a new lease, in accordance with section 56 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 was £30,541 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 50.57 years.