Our family solicitor has given a fee estimate £1700 for fixed fee conveyancing in Whitworth. I am hoping to sell a Georgian property for £225,000. Are these estimated fees excessive? Is it in excess of what I should be paying for conveyancing in Whitworth?
The estimate does seem a tad overpriced. Where you are content to spend time scrutinising prices you could reduce the fees slightly by perhaps a hundred pounds. On the other hand, you mightlive to regret choosing an an unknown lawyer. Don't forget to check that the firm can also act for your mortgage company. You can make use of our search tool to select a Whitworth conveyancing practice on the lender’s approved list of lawyers which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Whitworth.
I am in a contract race with another prospective purchaser for a property in Whitworth. What can be done to hasten the conveyancing process?
First, If you are under a tight deadline to sign contracts it is advisable to make sure that your lawyer is familiar with the area as they will make use of local contacts and knowledge. It is possible that they could have transacted otherproperties in the same road. Therefore consider using a Whitworth conveyancing lawyer. Second, check that the conveyancing firm is on the member panel. It is estimated that just under twenty per cent of Whitworth conveyancing deals are delayed or derailed after finding out that a purchaser’s conveyancer was not on their mortgage lender’s panel. In many cases this discovery resulted in the legal process being delayed by an average of three weeks. It is said that this issue affects approximately 100,000 home moves annually. Most Whitworth conveyancing firms can not represent certain banks so do check at the outset.
It is a dozen years since I purchased my house in Whitworth. Conveyancing lawyers have now been appointed on the sale but I am unable to find the title deeds. Is this a major issue?
You need not be too concerned. First the deeds may be retained by the lender or they could be in the possession of the solicitor who oversaw the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the property will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Whitworth relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
Should my solicitor be raising questions about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Whitworth.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Whitworth. Some people will purchase a house in Whitworth, fully aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.
Conveyancers are not best placed to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a various searches that can be carried out by the purchaser or by their solicitors which will give them a better appreciation of the risks in Whitworth. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms given to a buyer’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a usual inquiry of the owner to discover whether the property has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred and is not revealed by the vendor, then a buyer could issue a compensation claim resulting from an incorrect response. The buyer’s lawyers may also order an environmental report. This should disclose whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further inquiries will need to be carried out.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Whitworth?
Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Whitworth. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on last month in what should have been a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Whitworth is the location of the property. Is there any guidance you can impart?
Flying freeholds in Whitworth are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Whitworth you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Whitworth may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.