Can you help - my lawyer says that chancel insurance is necessary on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Esher?
The appropriate level of chancel indemnity insurance depends on who your lender is. It would differ for example between Santander and Bank of Scotland. Conveyancing lawyers as opposed to borrowers take out such insurances.
Two weeks ago we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Skipton. Esher conveyancing lawyers were instructed. How long does it take for Skipton to issue the offer to the conveyancer?
There is no definitive answer here. Have Skipton conducted the valuation? Have you informed Skipton as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Skipton conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with RBS. I assume I don't need a Esher lawyer on the RBS panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your RBS mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the RBS mortgage from the register. RBS, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where RBS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- RBS has instructed the Land Registry to do so
A relative advised me that if I am purchasing in Esher I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Esher conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing significant information about Esher around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Esher Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Esher Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information regarding Esher.
I own a renovated Georgian property in Esher. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and HSBC Bank. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. Is it worth asking HSBC Bank to clarify?
You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Esher and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the conveyancing.
I am buying a new build house in Esher benefiting from help to buy. The builders refused to budge the price so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The estate agent suggested that I not disclose to my conveyancer about this side-deal as it may adversely affect my mortgage with the bank. Is this normal?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
My in 2008. He has been married, widowed and has recently remarried. He now wants to the sell the Esher property. I suspect that he will simply be need to provide a copy of his marriage certificates to the lawyer but he is anxious it will delay the conveyancing. Is it worth updating the Land Registry documents for the house?
You are not required to bring up to date the register on the basis that you have the proof required to demonstrate how the change of name has come about.
Any buyer’s property lawyer will review the title details and ask for evidence to establish the name change for example marriage documentation.