When does exchange of contracts occur in domestic conveyancing in South Harrow and am I required to attend the solicitors office?
Where you are near to our conveyancing solicitors in South Harrow you are welcome to attend to sign contracts. However, the firms we recommend offer countrywide coverage for conveyancing and give as equally comprehensive and professional a job for you when dealing with you by post or email. The signing of the contract is not the point of no return. Signing on the dotted line simply enables the firm to exchange contracts at the suitable time, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The exchange process is is usually a five minute process, although where an extended "chain" is in the mix, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in South Harrow)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.
What happens if my solicitor is removed from the Principality Conveyancing panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in South Harrow?
First, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.
My wife and I purchasing a end of terrace house in South Harrow. We would like to carry out an extension to the side at the house.Will legal due diligence on the property include checks to determine if these works are allowed?
Your conveyancer will check the registered title as conveyancing in South Harrow will on occasion identify restrictions in the title deeds which prohibit certain works or need the permission of another owner. Certain additions call for local authority planning permissions and approval in compliance with building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or affect extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
I am expecting a OIP from RBS this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do RBS recommend any South Harrow solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?
You will need to appoint South Harrow solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the RBS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and RBS through the process.
I have instructed a South Harrow property lawyer having checked that they are on the RBS conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
RBS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually RBS 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. Your lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your South Harrow postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with RBS, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in South Harrow.
I opted to have a survey completed on a house in South Harrow before instructing conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the house. My surveyor has said that some lenders may refuse to issue a mortgage on such a property.
It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different requirements for example to Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can look into this further with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in South Harrow. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in South Harrow to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.
Should I choose a South Harrow conveyancing lawyer based in the area that I am purchasing? We have a good friend who can execute the legal formalities however his firm is located approximately 350miles away.
The primary upside of using a high street South Harrow conveyancing firm is that you can drop in to execute documents, deliver your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local insight which is a plus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If you know people who instructed your friend and on the whole were impressed that should surpass using an unknown South Harrow conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being round the corner.
How does one as executor remove a departed person's details from the title register for a property in South Harrow?
If a South Harrow property is co-owned and one of the proprietors dies, their name will not automatically be removed from the title deeds. You are not required to remove their name as when it comes to a disposal your conveyancer would just need to evidence why the joint owner is not included in the contract, usually this is in the form of the probate documents.
With a view to making things more straight forward in the future you may apply to have the deceased name erased from the title register by submitting an application to the land registry with evidence of the death. There is no land registry fee payable.