Just contacted my conveyancing solicitor in Tower Hill who acted for me 18 months ago asking for a conveyancing costs illustration based on the same type of house move (a leasehold property and a freehold premises) of almost identical values with a mortgage from Halifax. It looks as though am now being charged double. Am I right to be tempted to shop around for an alternative conveyancer?
The estimate does seem a tad overpriced. Where you are content to spend time scrutinising costs you could reduce the fees slightly by as much as a hundred pounds. That being said, if you were content with the conveyancing the firm gave you maycome to rue choosing an an untested solicitor. Remember to enquire that the firm can represent Halifax. You can employ our search tool to find a Tower Hill conveyancing firm on the Halifax conveyancing panel, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Tower Hill.
IfI was to buy a simple residential housein Tower Hill mortgage fee and have no survey and no conveyancing searches how much could I expect to have to pay for conveyancing in Tower Hill?
The only reduction in fees you would achieve is the Tower Hill conveyancing searches. A property lawyer still got to do everything else - money laundering, communicating with the vendors lawyer, stamp duty return, register the property etc. A slight saving might be made by not needing to register a mortgage but it won't be a lot.
Are the Tower Hill conveyancing solicitors identified as being on the Aldermore conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by Aldermore?
Tower Hill conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Aldermore conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Aldermore directly.
My uncle passed away 10 months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Tower Hill. The house had a small mortgage remaining of approximately £4500. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Co-operative, pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?
Where you intend to refinance then Co-operative will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Co-operative conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Co-operative mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
I am purchasing a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in Tower Hill. We would like to convert the garage to a playroom at the house.Will the conveyancing process include checks to ascertain if these alterations were previously refused?
Your property lawyer should review the registered title as conveyancing in Tower Hill can sometimes reveal restrictions in the title documents which prevent categories of alterations or require the consent of another owner. Many works call for local authority planning permissions and approval under the building regulations. Certain areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.
I have instructed a Tower Hill solicitor having made sure that they are on the TSB conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
TSB will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually TSB 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. Your conveyancing practitioner will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Tower Hill postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with TSB, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Tower Hill.
Coventry BS have agreed my home loan in principle, my bid on a flat in Tower Hill has been agreed to, what happens next?
The estate agent will need to be informed of your lawyer's details (ensure that the conveyancing practitioners are on the lender’s panel). Telephone Coventry BS or your financial adviser and complete any appropriate paperwork. Coventry BS will instruct a valuer who will get in touch with the selling agent or vendor to arrange a slot for the valuation to take place. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about a fortnight for the mortgage offer to be issued. Coventry BS will send the offer to you and your property lawyers. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Tower Hill.
Myself and my wife have just had an offer agreed on a property and had meeting on Wednesday with Nationwide for the mortgage. They advised me that when it comes to selecting a solicitor that if they are not on their approved list of conveyancing practitioners then we will be subject to an an extra fee of about two hundred pounds. This is because they would then have to instruct a conveyancer to act for them in addition to the one we select for ourselves and we are liable for their costs. I have requested Nationwide to supply me with a list so I can request estimates only from their approved conveyancers but was told they dont have such a list to hand over. What would be the best way of going about this?
You should ask Nationwide what their criteria for joining their panel is for a solicitor.Thereafter ask the solicitor of your choice whether they meet the criteria and have they acted on mortgages for Nationwide previously. If the answer to those is yes, then just double check with Nationwide. Alternatively please make use of our search facility and we may be able to find you a conveyancer in Tower Hill on the approved list for Nationwide.