My previous solicitor has quoted £1150 for freehold conveyancing in Summertown. I’m hoping to downsize from a modern property for £125,000. This seems too much. Is it in excess of the norm for conveyancing in Summertown?
The charges are a little high. Where you are happy to spend time contrasting fee on a like for like basis you may be able to reduce the fees marginally by say a hundred pounds. On the other hand, you couldlive to regret opting for an an unknown lawyer. If is important to ensure the firm can represent your lender. You can utilise our comparison tool to select a Summertown conveyancing company on the banks conveyancing panel which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Summertown.
Is there a reason why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Summertown is more expensive?
Summertown leasehold conveyancing transactions usually involve additional investigations than freeholds including investigating the Lease, liaising with the Landlord such as serving appropriate notices on the Landlord or managing agent, obtaining up-to-date service charge and management information, obtaining Landlord’s consents and reviewing management accounts and formation documents.
When it comes to lenders such as RBS, do Summertown conveyancing practitioners face a yearly amount to be on the conveyancing panel?
We are unaware of any lender fees to register on their panel, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
I had a mortgage agreed in principle with Principality. Summertown conveyancing practitioners have been chosen. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Principality?
There is no definitive answer here. Have Principality completed the valuation? Have you informed Principality as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Principality conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Co-operative. I assume I don't need a Summertown solicitor on the Co-operative panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Co-operative 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 Co-operative mortgage from the register. Co-operative, 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 Co-operative has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Co-operative has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I used Wolstenholmes several years ago for my conveyancing in Summertown. I now require my papers however the law firm has closed. What do I do?
Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Summertown of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
How does conveyancing in Summertown differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Summertown come to us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is built. This is because developers in Summertown usually purchase 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 property lawyers 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 Summertown or who has acted in the same development.
Do lenders provide you with an approved list of Summertown solicitors? How do you know who is on the bank conveyancing panel?
Summertown firms and firms carrying out conveyancing in Summertown themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from the mortgage company directly.