My mortgage broker has requested my Abbeymeads law firm’s panel member for the Santander conveyancing panel. What is the best way to obtain this. I have contacted my local Abbeymeads branch but they have not got back to me yet.

Have you tried contacting your Abbeymeads property lawyer about this?. They should have a central record lender panel numbers.

We are about to exchange contracts for a garden flat in Abbeymeads. We encountered a stumbling block. The mortgage offer with HSBC Bank expires on 10/1/2025 but the vendors are insisting on a completion date of 14/1/2025. Can one extend the mortgage offer?

The person best placed to address this concern is your conveyancer who will hopefully assess if he or she is corresponding with the lender, seller’s solicitors, selling agents or conceivably all three taking into account the circumstances your transaction to date.

How does conveyancing in Abbeymeads differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build property in Abbeymeads come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is constructed. This is because developers in Abbeymeads tend to acquire the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Abbeymeads or who has acted in the same development.

Looking forward to complete next month on a basement flat in Abbeymeads. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Abbeymeads should include some of the following:

The landlord’s rights to access the flat. You should be made aware that your landlord has rights of access as well as be informed how much notice must be provided. Repair and maintenance of the property Whether the lease restricts you from letting out the flat, or having a home office for business Details of the parties to the lease, for instance these could be the lessee, head lessor, freeholder Responsibility to repair and maintain the building. It is essential that you know which party is responsible the repair and maintenance of every part of the building

Abbeymeads Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

Its a good idea to discover as much as possible concerning the company managing the building as they will either make life much easier or much more difficult. As the owner of a leasehold property you are often at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to day to day issues like the cleanliness of the communal areas. Don't be shy to ask other people what they think of their service. On a final note, investigate as to the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the relevant party and specifically what it includes. Generally speaking the cost for major works tend not to be incorporated into the service charges, although a few managing agents in Abbeymeads require tenants to contribute towards a sinking fund created for the specific purpose of establishing a fund for major works. Does the lease include onerous restrictions?

My 20yr old son is embarking on her first house purchase, he had his mortgage in principle. When the offer was accepted on apartment we called the mortgage institution to move forward with his. I was shocked to discover that banks do not accept all conveyancing practitioner, they must be on their panel, is this correct?

Lenders normally restrict either the type or the number of conveyancing practices on their approved list of lawyers. A common example of such restriction(s) being that a firm must have two or more partners. In addition to restricting the type of firm, some have decided to limit the number of firms they use to represent them. You should note that banks have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any Abbeymeads conveyancing practitioner on their panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the rationalisation of conveyancing panels a few years ago and whilst there are differing views about the extent of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry reveal that thousands of law firms only carry out one or two conveyances a year. Those supporting conveyancing panel cuts ask why law firms should have the right to be on a Lender panel when clearly, conveyancing is not their speciality. To put it another way; would you want a conveyancing solicitor to represent you if you were charged with a crime? Presumably not.