The lawyer who helped my last purchase has given a fee estimate £995 for fixed fee conveyancing in Oundle. I’m hoping to sell a Georgian detached home for £150,000. This appears too much. Is it above what I should be paying for conveyancing in Oundle?
The estimate does seem marginally overpriced. If you are happy to invest time scrutinising quotes you could get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by perhaps a hundred pounds. That being said, you couldcome to rue choosing an a cheaper conveyancer. Don't forget to ensure the conveyancer can act for your lender. You can employ our search tool to get a quote a Oundle conveyancing practice on the lender’s approved list of lawyers which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Oundle.
Is it the case that all Oundle conveyancing solicitors on the Co-operative conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Co-operative conveyancing panel they would need to be overseen by the SRA. Many lenders do list licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the organisation would be overseen by the CLC.
My wife and I have arranged the release of further funds on our home loan from HSBC as we intend to carry out a loft conversion to our property in Oundle. Are we obliged to appoint a high street Oundle solicitor on the HSBC conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?
HSBC don't usually appoint firms on their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the HSBC conveyancing panel.
After months of negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Oundle. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers. I paid an advanced payment of £175. A couple of days later, the property lawyer contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the HSBC conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the HSBC panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
Should my lawyer be raising enquiries about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Oundle.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Oundle. Plenty of people will acquire a house in Oundle, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical destruction, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or dispose of the property. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.
Solicitors are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a various checks that can be undertaken by the buyer or by their conveyancers which will figure out the risks in Oundle. The standard completed inquiry forms supplied to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a standard inquiry of the seller to find out whether the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that the residence has been flooded in past which is not disclosed by the seller, then a purchaser may bring a legal claim for losses resulting from an inaccurate reply. A buyer’s solicitors should also commission an environmental search. This will reveal if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations should be conducted.
I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and found one round the corner in Oundle I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, however it only has 52 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Oundle suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?
If you need a mortgage that many years will be an issue. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.
How do I use your search facility to choose a conveyancing lawyer in Oundle on the approved list for my bank?
First choose a mortgage company such as Birmingham Midshires, Chelsea Building Society or Platform Home Loans Ltd then choose your location such as Oundle. Conveyancing organisations in Oundle and nationally will then be identified.
Am I better off to choose a Oundle conveyancing solicitor based in the vicinity that I am purchasing? I have an old university friend who can deal with the legal formalities but her office is 200miles drive away.
The primary upside of using a high street Oundle conveyancing firm is that you can drop in to execute paperwork, hand in your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local knowledge which is a benefit. However it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have instructed your friend and on the whole were happy that should trump using an unknown Oundle conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being round the corner.