My wife and I are planning to buy a flat in Winterton and are in fact using a Winterton conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Skipton Building Society have this morning contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our Winterton lawyer is not on their approved list of lawyers. What do we do from here?
If you are buying a property needing a mortgage it is normal for the purchasers' lawyers to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your lender and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Winterton solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.
I have given 8 weeks notice to my current landlord and must be out of my rented apartment in Winterton by 22/7/2025. Conveyancing on my purchase is progressing. Is it possible to complete in six weeks as I wish to avoid having to move into temporary accommodation?
It is unwise to give notice on a rental unless exchange of contracts has taken place. Assuming that you have not already done so, notify to your solicitor and request that they chase the owners lawyers, try to a target completion date that everyone will look to achieve
In what way does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Winterton? What am I being asked for?
In order to comply with Money Laundering Regulations any Winterton conveyancing firm will require proof of identity in all conveyancing matters. This is usually satisfied by provision of a passport and an original bank statement or utility bill evidencing your correct address.
Under Money Laundering Regulations, conveyancing solicitors are obliged by law to ascertain not just the identity of conveyancing clients but also the source of fund that they receive in respect of any matter. An unwillingness to disclose this will lead to your solicitor ending their relationship with you, as clearly this will cause a conflict between the set Regulations and a refusal to disclose.
Your conveyancers are duty bound to make a disclosure to the relevant authorities should they consider that any monies received by them may contravene the Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules.
I decided to have a survey carried out on a house in Winterton before instructing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor advised that some lenders may refuse to issue a mortgage on a flying freehold home.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different instructions for example to Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to telephone us we can check with the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Winterton. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor for my conveyancing in Winterton. I've stumble across a web site which seems to have the perfect offering If it is possible to get all this stuff done via email that would be preferable. Do I need to be wary? What should out be looking out for?
As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?
I've found a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently been informed that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Winterton. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Winterton ?
The majority of houses in Winterton are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Winterton so you should seriously consider looking for a Winterton conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer will appraise you on the various issues.
Winterton Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries before buying
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What prohibitions are there in the Winterton Lease? Plenty Winterton leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service charge for maintenance of the building set on behalf of the landlord. If you buy the apartment you will have to meet this liability, usually periodically accross the year. This could be anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common grounds. In all probability there will be a rentcharge to be met annual, this is usually not a significant figure, say around £50-£100 but you should to enquire it because sometimes it could be prohibitively expensive. What is the length of the lease?