At what point does exchange of contracts happen for sale conveyancing in Chapeltown and do I need to attend the lawyers branch?
If you are near to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Chapeltown you are welcome to come in to sign documents. However, the law practices we work with provide a nationwide conveyancing service and provide just as diligent and professional a job for you when communicating with you digitally. The signing of the contract is not the point of no return. A signed contract simply enables the firm to exchange contracts when the time is right, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The exchange process is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a lengthy "chain" is in the mix, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Chapeltown)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.
The Chapeltown conveyancing firm that I appointed last week on my house acquisition in Chapeltown have without warning shut down. I chose them because I needed a solicitor on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel and my family Chapeltown lawyer was not. I issued them a cheque for two hundred pounds in advance. What do I do now?
If you have an estate agent involved then inform them straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers may be able to help.
My relative suggested that where I am purchasing in Chapeltown I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
A search of this type is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard Chapeltown conveyancing searches. It is a large document of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out important information about Chapeltown around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Chapeltown.
How does conveyancing in Chapeltown differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Chapeltown come to us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is completed. This is because developers in Chapeltown tend to buy 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 conveyancers 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 used to new build conveyancing in Chapeltown or who has acted in the same development.
Why am I unable to complete my conveyancing in Chapeltown on a bank holiday?
Because on completion the money needs to pass between the banks of the purchaser and owner’s conveyancer and currently this can only take place on a business day. It is not possible to complete on a saturday or sunday either.