When it comes to mortgage companies such as Nottingham, do Wantage lawyers have to pay an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are not aware of any lender fees to be on their panel, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
is it true that all Wantage conveyancing solicitors on the Principality conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Principality approved list of solicitors they would need to be overseen by the SRA. Some banks do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be overseen by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
We have agreed to purchase a house in Wantage. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. HSBC have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that your lender is HSBC your lawyer must follow the conveyancing requirements outlined in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for HSBC. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to HSBC where a lease does not meet these conditions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not isolated to Wantage.
My wife and I own a semi-detached Edwardian house in Wantage. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Alliance & Leicester . I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for 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 Wantage and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also question the situation with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.
I opted to have a survey carried out on a property in Wantage prior to retaining lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. The surveyor has said that some mortgage companies may refuse to give a loan on a flying freehold premises.
It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can look into this further with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Wantage. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
Is there anything unique about your site and alternative internet conveyancing brokers when it comes to conveyancing in Wantage?
At this site secure a conveyancing costs illustration from a Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer that has a full understanding of the issues of your conveyancing in Wantage. Unlike many estate agents and many comparison sites we are not in the business of charging firms a commission if you instruct them for your home move in Wantage
My uncle has recommend that I instruct his lawyers for conveyancing in Wantage. Do I follow his advice?
Much as we are happy to recommend a Wantage conveyancing lawyer the best way to select a conveyancing solicitor is to have feedback from friends or family who have actually previously instructed the conveyancer that you are considering.
Harry (my fiance) and I may need to let out our Wantage basement flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Wantage conveyancing practice in 2004 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?
Some leases for properties in Wantage do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting consent.
Wantage Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries Prior to buying
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Most Wantage leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service bill for maintenance of the building invoiced by the freeholder. If you buy the property you will have to meet this amount, normally in instalments throughout the year. This may differ from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built buildings. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay annual, normally this is not a significant sum, say about £50-£100 but you need to enquire as sometimes it can be surprisingly expensive. The best form of lease structure is where the freehold interest is owned by the leaseholders. In this situation the tenants have control and even though a managing agent is usually retained where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves.