I was advised yesterday by my financial adviser that my Rochester solicitor is not on the lender Solicitor panel. What can I do to be sure if this is correct?
Your first step should be to call your Rochester conveyancer. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to notify you what has happened. Where they are not on the panel they may be able to suggest a Rochester conveyancing firm that is on the conveyancing panel for your lender.
I am purchasing a new build flat in Rochester. Can I do my own conveyancing?
Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Rochester you will have to appoint a solicitor on your mortgage company's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Rochester.
I am assisting my sister sell her property in Rochester. Will the conveyancer commission an energy performance certificate or it is for the seller to see to?
After the abolition of Home Packs, energy performance certificates was kept a compulsory part of selling a house. An energy assessment should be commissioned prior to the property being marketed. This is not something that law firms ordinarily organise. If you are instructing a Rochester conveyancing practitioner they might help arrange EPC’s due to their contacts with long established Rochester providers
I am aiming to move house in July. Should my conveyancing solicitor liaise with the removal company on the day of completion. Incidentally, can you suggest a removal company in Rochester. Conveyancing lawyer was found prior to coming across this page.
On the day of completion you will need to pick up the keys from your estate agent however this should only take place once the sellers lawyers advise the agent that they have the completion monies and the keys can be handed over. After that you can tell the removal company that they can start moving you in. As a matter of policy we do not recommend a particular removal organisation but can assist you in choosing a residential property solicitor in Rochester or a lawyer with expertise in conveyancing in Rochester.
I've digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Rochester solicitor - who is on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Kent Reliance will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Kent Reliance 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 Rochester 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.
I appreciate that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Am I compelled to take this when purchasing a house in Rochester? or I am told that there is a law dating back centuries that could mean that owners of property living in a parish church boundary may be liable to pay for maintenance to the chancel within the church. Is this a legitimate concern for conveyancing in Rochester?
Unless a previous acquisition of the house took place after 12 October 2013 you could expect lawyers delivering conveyancing in Rochester to remain encouraging a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
My partner has encouraged me to appoint his conveyancing solicitors in Rochester. Should I choose my own property lawyer?
Much as we are happy to recommend a Rochester conveyancing lawyer it’s preferable to select a conveyancing solicitor is to have guidance from friends or family who have actually previously instructed the solicitor you're are thinking of instructing.
I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Rochester. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the remaining lease term.
Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Rochester - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.
I own a 1st floor flat in Rochester, conveyancing having been completed September 2002. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Rochester with over 90 years remaining are worth £192,000. The ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2080
With only 54 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £32,300 and £37,400 as well as costs.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.