I require conveyancing for an apartment in a fairly new development (seven years old) in Port Talbot. 95% of the appartments have already been sold. Is it strictly necessary to order local searches as part of conveyancing in Port Talbot?
You would be putting yourself at risk in failing carrying out Port Talbot conveyancing searches. Without searches you have no clarity over flooding, environmental etc which may mean you walk away due to potential problems down the line. If you are buying without a mortgage there is no legal requirement to have them, but we would seriously advise in no uncertain terms that your lawyer conducts them. Where timings and expenses are top of your issues you should consider with your lawyer about the options such as contingency insurance available to you
What is your number one tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Port Talbot
We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Port Talbot conveyancing costs illustration. 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 go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.
Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Port Talbot. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?
Most banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Team at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are sorted out very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service who will take matters further.
Our sealed bid on a semi in Port Talbot has been accepted, but there is a chain. The sellers have offered on somewhere, but it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. I have instructed a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Port Talbot. What do I do now? At what stage do I apply for the mortgage with Virgin Money?
It is normal to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses too early (home loan application is in the region of £1k, then valuation, Port Talbot conveyancing search charges, etc). The first course of action is to ensure that your solicitor is on the Virgin Money approved list. Concerning the subsequent steps this very much dictated by the uniqueness of your case, motivation for the property and on the state of the market. During a buoyant market the majority of home buyers will apply for a home loan with Virgin Money and arrange for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they request their solicitor to proceed with the conveyancing in Port Talbot.
About to purchase a new build apartment in Port Talbot. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.
Set out below is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Port Talbot
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The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £195,000 and found one near me in Port Talbot I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Port Talbot suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?
If you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease will be an issue. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you can request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.
Am I better off to instruct a Port Talbot conveyancing lawyer in close proximity to the house I am hoping to buy? I have an old university friend who can deal with the conveyancing however her office is 300kilometers away.
The benefit of a local Port Talbot conveyancing practice is that you can pop in to sign documents, present your ID and pester them if necessary. Having local Port Talbot know how is a benefit. However it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If if people you trust instructed your friend and in the main were happy that should outweigh using an unknown Port Talbot conveyancing solicitor just because they are Port Talbot based.
Myself and my fiance have recently had an offer accepted on a house and had an appointment on Tuesday with Nationwide for the mortgage. They warned me that when it comes to choosing a lawyer that unless they are on their approved panel of solicitors then we will incur an additional fee of £200. This is because they would then have to instruct a solicitor to act for them as well as the one we appoint on our behalf and we assume responsibility for their fees. I have requested Nationwide to furnish me with a list so I can obtain quotes only from their approved conveyancers but was told they dont have such a list to hand over. Is their an easier way of going about this?
Ask Nationwide what their criteria for joining their panel is for a conveyancer.Thereafter ask the conveyancing practitioner of your choice whether they meet the criteria and have they acted on loans for Nationwide previously. If the answer to those is yes, then just double check with Nationwide. Another option is to make use of our search tool and we may be able to locate a lawyer in Port Talbot on the panel for Nationwide.