I am helping my sister sell her flat in Snowdonia. Does the conveyancer commission an EPC or it is for the seller to coordinate?
After the demise of Home Packs, EPC’s became a compulsory element of selling a property. An energy performance certificate needs to be to hand in advance of the property being put on the market. It is not as aspect of the sale process that law firms normally arrange. Where you are using a Snowdonia conveyancing practitioner they may be willing to arrange energy assessments due to their relationships with long established Snowdonia providers
We had selected solicitors with offices in Snowdonia on the Co-operative solicitor approved list. They have just invoiced me an additional amount for handling the Co-operative mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Co-operative?
As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your conveyancer is entitled to charge a fee for this. This fee is not dictated by Co-operative but by your Snowdonia property lawyer. Numerous firms on the Co-operative panel will quote an ‘acting for lender’ fee but many practices include it on their overall fee.
I'm in the throws of looking at apartments in Snowdonia and I am about to put in an offer. Is it sensible to have my lawyer on ‘stand by’? I intend to finance via a mortgage with Coventry BS.
It would be prudent to start your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their contact information on to the selling agent. As you are taking out a mortgage with Coventry BS, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
It has been three months since my purchase conveyancing in Snowdonia took place. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £160,000. 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 asset 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.
I'm buying a new build house in Snowdonia benefiting from help to buy. The developers would not reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent advised me not inform my solicitor about the deal as it could jeopardize my loan with Bank of Scotland. Is this normal?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
How do I use the search facility to get a fee calculation from a conveyancing lawyer in Snowdonia on the panel for my mortgage?
First choose a mortgage company such as Santander, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society or Godiva Mortgages Ltd then choose your location e.g. Snowdonia. Conveyancing practices in Snowdonia and across England and Wales will then be listed.
Am I better off to use a Snowdonia conveyancing solicitor who is local to the property I am hoping to buy? I have an old university friend who can carry out the legal work however they are based 400kilometers away.
The benefit of a local Snowdonia conveyancing firm is that you can drop in to execute documents, present your ID and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local knowledge which is a bonus. That being said it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who instructed your friend and the majority were impressed that should trump using an unknown Snowdonia conveyancing lawyer just because they are Snowdonia based.
Last July I purchased a leasehold flat in Snowdonia. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?
In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
Snowdonia Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing
-
How much is the ground rent and service charge? How long is the Lease? Who manages the building?