Unfortunately I am unable to travel far from Southend. Can you please spell out why all Southend solicitors aren't automatically on all bank panels?
Even though it may seem unfair for banks to limit who can represent them, from the public’s or conveyancer’s viewpoint, the flip side is that lending institutions are becoming ever more anxious and consider it vital to protect them from illegal activities. As a consequence of this concern banks have consolidated their conveyancing panel to a manageable size.
We are a couple about to exchange contracts for a ground floor flat in Southend. We encountered a stumbling block. Our loan offer with Halifax runs out on 7/9/2026 but the vendors are insisting on a completion date of 9/9/2026. Can one prolong the loan expiry date?
The best person to deal with your question is your solicitors who will determine whether they should be discussing with the bank, seller’s representatives, property agents or possibly all three taking into account what has gone on in your house move as of today.
When it comes to lenders such as Bank of Ireland, do Southend conveyancers have to pay a fee to be on the conveyancing panel?
We are unaware of any mortgage company fees to be on their panel, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
The mortgage over my property is with RBS for my property in Southend. Conveyancing was finalised months ago. In the event that I decide to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform RBS?
RBS must be informed of your intention in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of RBS’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 RBS directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a RBS conveyancing panel solicitor.
Barclays have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on a apartment in Southend has been agreed to, what are the next steps?
Your estate agent will want to be advised as to your conveyancing practitioner's details (ensure that the property lawyers are on the lender’s approved list). Call up Barclays or your financial adviser and finish off any relevant forms. Barclays will instruct a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or vendor to book a time for the valuation to happen. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes on average a fortnight to receive the mortgage offer. Barclays will send the offer to you and your solicitors. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Southend.
A friend advised me that where I am purchasing in Southend I should ask my conveyancer to execute a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
A search of this type is usually included in the estimate for your Southend conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing important information about Southend around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Southend Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Southend.
I'm remortgaging my current house to a BTL mortgage with Skipton Building Society and I will use the ballance of the raised equity as a deposit on another house. The location we are looking at is Southend. Will your conveyancers be able to act for the two mortgage companies and tie in the conveyances?
Make use of our search tool on this site to be sure that the lawyers are approved by both banks. On the basis that they are your conveyancer will be able to tie up the two transactions but you should talk with you solicitor and communicate your expectations and requirements.
I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Southend. Before I get started I require certainty as to the number of years remaining on the lease.
Assuming the lease is registered - and almost all are in Southend - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars 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.
My wife and I have hit a brick wall in trying to purchase the freehold in Southend. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?
Where there is a missing freeholder or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the LVT to make a decision on the sum to be paid.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Southend residence is 75 Woolstone Road in February 2012. the decision of the Tribunal was that the appropriate amount to be paid to purchase the freehold was the sum of £17,711 . This case was in relation to 2 flats. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 68.28 and 158.