My lawyer in Cirencester is not listed on the Santander Conveyancing Panel. Can I still continue with my family solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the Santander list of approved lawyers?
The limited options open to you here include:
- Carry on with your existing Cirencester lawyers but Santander will need to instruct a conveyancer on their list of acceptable firms. This will inevitably rack up the overall legal fees as well as cause delays.
- Get a new practitioner to act in the conveyancing, not forgetting to check they are Santander approved.
- Try to convince your Santander based solicitor to seek to join the Santander panel
Is it the case that all Cirencester CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the HSBC conveyancing list of approved practices?
A selection of lenders now use CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS membership however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to join their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
How can we know in advance if a Cirencester conveyancing solicitor on the Bank of Ireland panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Cirencester getting recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always recommend that you speak with the lawyer handling your transaction.
I was told three weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Clydesdale. Is it usual for Clydesdale to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Cirencester is approved on their conveyancing panel? Clydesdale have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their PI Insurance.
A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Clydesdale to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
I am close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our house in Cirencester and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was constructed land that was not decontaminated. A high street Cirencester lawyer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the purchasers are using an online conveyancing firm rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Cirencester. Having lived in Cirencester for three years we know that this is a non issue. Should we contact our local Authority to seek confirmation need.
It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. What do they say? You should enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same illness)
I opted to have a survey completed on a property in Cirencester in advance of retaining solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the property. Our surveyor has said that some banks will not issue a mortgage on such a home.
It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different requirements from Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can investigate further via the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Cirencester. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Cirencester to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.
Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my 2 bed flat in Cirencester. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, however I have recently received a yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?
It best that you discharge the service charge as usual because all ground rent and service invoices should be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.
I invested in buying a 1 bedroom flat in Cirencester, conveyancing was carried out 9 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent flats in Cirencester with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease expires on 21st October 2080
With only 56 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £29,500 and £34,000 plus professional fees.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.