Are you able to vouch for a Skipton Building Society approved Stevenage conveyancing lawyer finish our house move within less than a month? Am I best advised to choose a local Stevenage firm or an online conveyancer?
We can recommend some very good Stevenage conveyancing firms. Another option is to visit the main road in Stevenage. Visit two or three firms and ask to speak with a conveyancing solicitor for a quote. Explain your time frames together with the reasons and get an assurance on your deadline. Select the one that genuine.
Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with HSBC. Stevenage conveyancing practitioners were instructed. How long does it take for HSBC to send the offer to the conveyancer?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have HSBC completed the valuation? Have you advised HSBC as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the HSBC conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.
My wife and I are at the point of looking at houses in Stevenage and I am about to put in an offer. Is it premature to have a solicitor in place? I intend to finance via a home loan with Aldermore.
It would be wise to instigate your search sooner rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their contact information on to the estate agent. As you are obtaining a mortgage with Aldermore, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Aldermore conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
I had an offer accepted on an apartment in Stevenage on 14/11/2025, valuation was booked 3 days later, all came back fine. Property lawyer instructed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Santander and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Santander to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Santander conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Should our conveyancer be asking questions concerning flooding during the conveyancing in Stevenage.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors dealing with homes in Stevenage. Some people will acquire a property in Stevenage, fully expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or sell the property. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.
Solicitors are not best placed to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a various checks that can be carried out by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which should figure out the risks in Stevenage. The conventional set of information given to a buyer’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a usual question of the owner to determine if the property has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred which is not notified by the seller, then a purchaser could issue a compensation claim as a result of such an misleading response. The buyer’s solicitors may also order an environmental search. This should indicate if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further inquiries should be initiated.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified as part of conveyancing in Stevenage?
Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Stevenage. 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…’
In sourcing the web for the words conveyancing in Stevenage it brings up numerous conveyancersin the vicinity. With so much choice what is the best way to find the suitable property lawyer for the sale of my house?
The best way of choosing the right conveyancer is through a trusted testimonial, so seek the guidance of friends and family who have bought a property in Stevenage or a reputable estate agent or mortgage broker. Charges for conveyancing in Stevenage differ, so it's sensible to request at least four fee calculations from varying types of solicitors. Make sure that you clarify that the charges are guaranteed not to to be inflated.
My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Stevenage. Conveyancing and Alliance & Leicester mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing practitioner in Stevenage who previously acted has long since retired. Any advice?
First contact the Land Registry to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Stevenage conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.
Leasehold Conveyancing in Stevenage - A selection of Queries before buying
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Most Stevenage leasehold apartments will have a service charge for the upkeep of the building set by the landlord. If you purchase the flat you will have to meet this liability, usually periodically during the year. This may differ from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large communal areas. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a exorbitant amount, say around £25-£75 but you need to enquire it because on occasion it can be many hundreds of pounds. Its a good idea to discover as much as possible regarding the company managing the block as they can either make your living at the property much simpler or uncomfortable. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you will be at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to practical issues such as the tidiness of the common parts. Enquire of prospective neighbours whether they are happy with their management. On a final note, investigate as to the dates that the maintenance fees are due to the managing agents and precisely how they are spending that money. It is important to be aware whether a new roof is being put on or some other significant cost is pending that will be shared between the tenants and will dramatically increase the the service costs or require a one off invoice.