It has come to my attention via my estate agent that my Sutton property lawyer is not on the mortgage company Conveyancing panel. What can I do to be certain if this is indeed the case?
Your first step should be to call your Sutton conveyancer. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to notify you what has happened. Where they are not on the panel they may recommend you to a Sutton conveyancing firm that is on the approved list of lawyers for your lender.
I have given 2 months notice to my existing landlord and must leave my let out flat in Sutton by 30/6/2025. Conveyancing on my purchase is progressing. Can I complete in a couple of weeks as I wish to avoid having to move into temporary accommodation?
Generally one should not provide notice on a rental unless exchange of contracts has taken place. Assuming that you have not previously done so, speak to your conveyancer and request that they seek the assistance the sellers solicitors, try to get a realistic time scale from them that everyone will look to achieve
We have agreed to purchase a house in Sutton. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Skipton be concerned?
As you are obtaining a mortgage with Skipton your lawyer must check the conveyancing instructions set out in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Skipton. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Skipton where a lease fails to satisfy these specifications. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not restricted to Sutton.
The mortgage over my property is with Skipton for my property in Sutton. Conveyancing has been completed a year ago. If I am intending to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Skipton?
Skipton must be informed of your intention in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Skipton’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Skipton will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Skipton directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Skipton conveyancing panel firm.
Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Sutton. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
Almost all banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.
What will a local search reveal about the property my wife and I buying in Sutton?
Sutton conveyancing often starts with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search company such as Searchflow The local search is essential in every Sutton conveyancing purchase; that is if you don’t want any nasty surprises after you move into your new home. The search should reveal information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 subject headings.
I purchased a terraced Victorian property in Sutton. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and National Westminster Bank. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. Is it worth asking National Westminster Bank to clarify?
You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Sutton and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing practitioner who conducted the purchase.
I am purchasing a new build house in Sutton with a loan from Halifax. The developers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative advised me not inform my lawyer about this deal as it could affect my loan with the lender. Is this normal?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.