Can I use your services to find a Conveyancing solicitor in St James's even where I’m not buying or disposing of a house, for example if I wish to buy an office in St James's with a mortgage from Halifax?
Our comparison service is mainly utilised to select domestic conveyancing solicitors in St James's but we have recorded towards the bottom of this page a few St James's commercial conveyancing firms. You should enquire with the solicitors directly to establish if they can also act for Halifax
I am helping my step-mother sell her house in St James's. Does the conveyancer arrange an energy performance certificate or it is for the seller to coordinate?
Following the abolition of Home Packs, EPC’s became a required component of moving house. An energy assessment must be to hand prior to the property being marketed. It is not something that conveyancers normally organise. If you are using a St James's conveyancing solicitor they may be willing to arrange EPC’s given their relationships with long established local energy assessors
Can I be sure that the St James's conveyancing solicitor on the Barclays panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in St James's seeking recommendations is a good start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always recommend that you speak with the solicitor carrying out your conveyancing.
After months of negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in St James's. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their lawyer. I paid an on account payment of £175. Shortly after, the lawyer called me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Nationwide 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 Nationwide 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.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in St James's?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in St James's. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one close by in St James's I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 49 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in St James's for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?
Should you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.
Am I better off to use a St James's conveyancing solicitor in close proximity to the house I am buying? I have an old university friend who can execute the legal work however his firm is located approximately 350miles drive away.
The primary upside of using a local St James's conveyancing firm is that you can visit the firm to execute paperwork, present your identification documents and apply pressure on them where appropriate. They will also have local intelligence 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 they were content that should trump using an unfamiliar St James's conveyancing solicitor just because they are local.
Your search tool is useful but there are many lawyers listed near St James's being on the bank conveyancing panel. It would be a lot more helpful if you could recommend a specific firm on the bank approved panel?
We do not recommend specific St James's firms as the right St James's conveyancing firm for you depends on where your priorities lie. For example you may require a local firm with St James's knowledge or you might be looking for the low cost conveyancing. We recommend that you speak to 3 or 4 lawyers listed before you make your choice..