My fiance’s step-father is a solicitor. I hope that I will receive mate’s rates for conveyancing, but if not, what level of figure would I typically be looking at for conveyancing in Torfaen?
You should compare pricing. Make use of our search tool on this page. You will notice that estimates will be different but service levels do are distinct between conveyancers as is true with the vast majority of professional services.
Completed the sale of my flat in Torfaen last August yet the purchaser is e-mailing every few hours to say their solicitor is waiting to hear from myconveyancer. What should my lawyer have done following completion?
After completion of your house sale your solicitor is duty bound to send the transfer deeds and all supplemental paperwork to the buyer’s lawyers. Depending on the transaction, your lawyer must also evidence that the legal charge in favour of the lender has been discharged to the buyers lawyers. There are no post completion procedures unique to conveyancing in Torfaen.
I am remortgaging my home in Torfaen, does my lawyer have to be on the Co-operative Conveyancing panel?
There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but Co-operative will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is much more potential for delays and confusion with an additional lawyer added to the mix, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.
There is lots of information on this site concerning conveyancing in Torfaen but what is your top tip for finding the right conveyancer in Torfaen
We would encourage you not to base your choice on the lowest Torfaen conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.
We previously instructed conveyancers based in Torfaen on the Santander solicitor panel. They are now charging me a supplemental fee for dealing with the Santander mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Santander?
As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your lawyer is entitled to charge a fee for this. This fee is not dictated by Santander but by your Torfaen conveyancer. Plenty of firms on the Santander panel will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.
Having read lots of house buying guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Torfaen solicitor - who is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Leeds Building Society will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Leeds Building Society will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Torfaen surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
I've recently bought a leasehold property in Torfaen. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?
In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
Torfaen Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should consider before buying
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Most Torfaen leasehold flats will incur a service charge for the upkeep of the block set on behalf of the freeholder. Should you purchase the flat you will have to meet this contribution, usually in instalments throughout the year. This could differ from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common grounds. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay yearly, normally this is not a significant figure, say approximately £50-£100 but you need to check as sometimes it can be surprisingly expensive. Make sure you enquire if the the lease includes any adverse restrictions in the lease. For example plenty of leases prohibit pets being permitted in certain buildings in Torfaen. If you like the flatin Torfaen however your cat is not allowed to make the move with you then you will be presented with a hard compromise. How is the lease structured?
I bought a flat in Torfaen last 27/10/2023 and to date it is still not registered with the Land Registry. It was part of a development site and my conveyancer told me that it can take one year to complete the registration formalities. I have contacted HM Land Registry directly and they say that the original application was cancelled due to questions not being addressed in time. Should I be concerned?
It is your property lawyer that you must turn to here in order to satisfy any concerns which have been raised as part of the registration process for your Torfaen property. Normal Torfaen conveyancing practice includes an undertaking on the part of the previous owner’s conveyancing practitioner that they will assist in resolving any requirements raised by HMLR so it may be a case of seeking to enforce that undertaking in some way.