Our family solicitor has given a fee estimate £995 for fixed fee conveyancing in Standish. I am selling a newly refurbished house for £175,000. Are these conveyancing fees excessive? Is it above the average fee for conveyancing in Standish?
The charges are a bit high. If you are willing to expend time scrutinising costs you may be able to reduce the fees slightly by say £100 plus VAT. That being said, you mightcome to rue choosing an an untested conveyancer. If is important to ensure that the solicitor can represent your lender. You can make use of our comparison tool to select a Standish conveyancing company on the lender’s member panel which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Standish.
I am about to put an offer on a leasehold flat in Standish. The estate agents say that it is the norm for flats in Standish to have less than 75 years left on the lease. I am getting a mortgage with Platform. Is this going to be acceptable if the lease has Seventy One years unexpired.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are securing a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Platform have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 21/1/2025 the requirements read as follows :
I am being told by my lawyer that chancel insurance is needed on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Standish?
The right level of chancel indemnity insurance should be dictated by who who your lender is. It would differ for example between Birmingham Midshires and Chelsea Building Society. Conveyancing lawyers as opposed to borrowers take out such policies.
How can we know in advance if a Standish conveyancing solicitor on the Principality panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Standish obtaining 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 advise that you speak with the solicitor carrying out your transaction.
It is not clear whether my lender requires a lease extension. I have called my Standish bank branch on a couple of occasions and was informed it wasn't a problem and they will lend. My Standish conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they would not lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?
As long as the property lawyer is on the lender approved list, they must follow the CML Handbook provisions for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.
Me and my brother own a renovated Edwardian property in Standish. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Standish and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who carried out the work.
How does conveyancing in Standish differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Standish come to us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is finished. This is because new home sellers in Standish tend to acquire the land, 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 conveyancers 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 Standish or who has acted in the same development.
I happen to be an executor of my recently deceased parent's Will, with a bungalow in Standish which will be marketed. The house is unregistered at HMLR and I'm advised that some EAs will insist that it is done before they will proceed. What's the procedure for this?
In the circumstances that you have set out it seems prudent to apply to register in the names of the personal representative(s) as named in the probate and in their capacity as PRs. The Land Registry’s online guidance explains how to register for the first time and what is required re the deeds and forms. You would need to include and certified copy of the probate as well and complete the form FR1 to refer to the PRs as the applicant.