My husband and I are purchasing a 3 bedroom flat in Rocester with a mortgage. We have a Rocester solicitor, but the lender advise he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the bank panel conveyancing practices or keep our Rocester lawyer and pay for one of their panel firms to act for them. We feel that this is inequitable; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Rocester conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
I am helping my mother sell her house in Rocester. Does the solicitor order an energy performance certificate or it is for the owner to coordinate?
After the abolition of Home Information Packs, EPC’s was kept a compulsory component of selling a house. An EPC should be commissioned in advance of the property being put on the market. This is not as aspect of the sale process that law firms ordinarily arrange. Where you are using a Rocester conveyancing lawyer they might be willing to arrange energy assessments given their contacts with long established Rocester assessors
I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in August 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Clydesdale are being a right pain. The Rocester solicitor who is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Clydesdale are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Clydesdale have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Clydesdale have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Clydesdale may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
After shopping around on the internet I have found a Rocester conveyancing practitioner having checked that they are on the Santander conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
Santander will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Santander will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Rocester surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
It has been 2 months following my purchase conveyancing in Rocester took place. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £170,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the premises from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
How does conveyancing in Rocester differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Rocester contact us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is ready to move into. This is because developers in Rocester 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Rocester or who has acted in the same development.
I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Rocester I like with open areas and transport links nearby, the downside is that it only has 49 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Rocester in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?
Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least twenty four months you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this.
My wife and I have today had an offer accepted on our first home in Rocester, and need to get solicitors appointed. I have used the numerous comparison tools and the quotes are from all over the the UK. Is it important to have a Rocester conveyancer local to your potential property? We are fine to do everything electronically, but I assume at some stage we will need to attend the property lawyer's office to sign documents?
Generally there is no requirement to attend the office of your solicitor, they can send any relevant papers to you, which you can sign and send back. Many buyers and sellers nevertheless opt to instruct a locally based solicitor, but it is not a prerequisite for conveyancing in Rocester.