It is is a decade since I purchased my property in Suffolk. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been retained on the sale but I am unable to locate my title deeds. Is this a problem?
Don’t worry too much. Firstly the deeds may be with the lender or they may be archived with the solicitor who acted in the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Suffolk involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is not registered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.
Do I select a Licenced Conveyancer or Solicitor for conveyancing in Suffolk?
Two types of professional can carry out conveyancing in Suffolk namely CLC regulated conveyancers or solicitors. The two can provide conveyancing services that you need to complete the sale or acquisition of property. They are both duty bound to carry out Suffolk conveyancing to the same standards and guidelines so you can be safe in the knowledge that your conveyancing will be properly administered and that the necessary procedures will be correctly taken.
I am buying a terrace house in Suffolk. We would like to carry out an extension to the side at the house.Will the conveyancing process involve enquiries to determine if these alterations were previously refused?
Your solicitor will review the deeds as conveyancing in Suffolk will on occasion identify restrictions in the title documents which prevent certain alterations or necessitated the consent of a 3rd party. Many additions require local authority planning consent and approval in accordance building regulations. Many areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. It would be prudent to check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Barclays. I assume I don't need a Suffolk property lawyer on the Barclays panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Barclays mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Barclays mortgage from the register. Barclays, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Barclays has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Barclays has instructed the Land Registry to do so
How does conveyancing in Suffolk differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Suffolk come to us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is finished. This is because builders in Suffolk usually buy the site, 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Suffolk or who has acted in the same development.
I opted to have a survey completed on a house in Suffolk in advance of instructing conveyancers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the property. Our surveyor has said that some lenders will refuse to issue a mortgage on such a house.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different requirements for example to Halifax. If you call us we can investigate further via the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Suffolk. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Suffolk to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.
We're first time buyers - agreed a price, yet the agent has warned us that the owners will only move forward if we instruct the agent's preferred conveyancers as they are insisting on a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a family conveyancer used to conveyancing in Suffolk
We suspect that the owner is unaware of this requirement. If they desire ‘a quick sale', alienating a serious buyer is going to damage their objectives. Speak to the vendors direct and explain that (a)you are serious purchasers (b)you are ready to go, with finances in place © you have nothing to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)but you intend to use your preferred Suffolk conveyancing lawyers - not the ones that will earn the negotiator at the agency a introducer fee or achieve conveyancing figures set by corporate headquarters.
Do I need to attend the offices of the mortgage company conveyancing panel solicitor to sign the mortgage deed? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Suffolk as it will be easier to attend their offices if necessary.
Whereas this was necessary 12 years ago, most lenders no longer require their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the borrowers signature. You will still be obliged to provide ID Documents and there are still distinct advantages to using a local solicitor, in your case a conveyancing solicitor in Suffolk.