It is 10 years ago since I purchased my house in Shenstone. Conveyancing solicitors have recently been retained on the sale but I can't locate my title deeds. Is this a problem?
Don’t worry too much. Firstly the deeds may be kept by the mortgage company or they could stored with the conveyancers who acted in the purchase. Secondly in most cases the property will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Shenstone relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is not registered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.
We are expecting a mortgage offer soon. The bank mentioned the loan came with free conveyancing. Does this mean I have to appoint their panel conveyancer as I would prefer to instruct a high street conveyancing solicitor in Shenstone?
Do check but the chances are that give you one of their panel solicitors should you want the "fee-free" incentive. Call the bank to see if they offer you a cash alternative. Some lenders have previously offered a £250 cashback as a further option in which case you could put that amount towards your preferred conveyancing solicitor in Shenstone.
I currently have a mortgage with HSBC for my property in Shenstone. Conveyancing has been completed some time ago. In the event that I decide to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform HSBC?
HSBC must be informed of your intention prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of HSBC’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact HSBC directly. You need not do this via a HSBC conveyancing panel solicitor.
After weeks of negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Shenstone. My mortgage broker suggested a conveyancing practitioner. I paid an advanced payment of £175. Soon after, the lawyer called me to say that they were not on the Virgin Money 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 Virgin Money 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.
About to purchase house in Shenstone. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Skipton conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Shenstone property lawyer is on the Skipton conveyancing panel.
I need some quick conveyancing in Shenstone as I have a deadline to exchange contracts inside 2 weeks. A mortgage is not required. Is it possible to avoid the conveyancing searches to save fees and time?
As you are are a cash buyer you are at free not to have searches carried out although no solicitor would advise that you don't. With plenty of history conveyancing in Shenstone the following are examples of what can be revealed and therefore affect market value: Refused Planning Applications, Outstanding Fees, Overdue Grants, Railway Schemes,...
How does conveyancing in Shenstone differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Shenstone approach us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is constructed. This is because builders in Shenstone tend to acquire the site, 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 Shenstone or who has acted in the same development.
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and found one near me in Shenstone I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 51 years on the lease. There is not much else in Shenstone for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?
If you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you could ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.