Can I use your services to locate a Conveyancing solicitor in Exeter even where I’m not purchasing or disposing of a house, for instance where I intend to acquire a shop in Exeter with a mortgage from TSB?

The service is mainly there to locate residential conveyancing solicitors in Exeter but we have recorded towards the bottom of this page a few Exeter commercial conveyancing firms. You will need to enquire with the firm directly to check if they can also act for TSB

I am being advised by my lawyer that lack of right of way insurance is needed on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Exeter?

The appropriate level of lack of right of way indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between Yorkshire Building Society and Coventry Building Society. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to borrowers take out such policies.

We had selected solicitors locally in Exeter on the Skipton solicitor panel. They are now charging me a separate charge for handling the Skipton mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Skipton?

As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your conveyancing practitioner is entitled to charge a fee for this. The charge is not dictated by Skipton but by your Exeter solicitor. Some firms on the Skipton panel will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee but many practices incorporate it on their overall fee.

The mortgage over my property is with HSBC for my property in Exeter. Conveyancing has been completed a year ago. In the event that I decide to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform HSBC?

HSBC must be informed of your intention in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of HSBC’s mortgage conditions. It may be that HSBC will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact HSBC directly. You need not do this via a HSBC conveyancing panel firm.

I have been advised by numerous property agents in Exeter to choose a solicitor on your site. What’s the financial inducement for Estate Agents to offer your site ahead of a competitor’s?

We don’t make any financial incentive for directing people to this site. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission as members of the public would think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

I need to find a conveyancing solicitor for remortgage conveyancing in Exeter. I've chance upon a site which seems to have the ideal solution If there is a chance to get all this stuff done via phone that would be ideal. Should I be concerned? What are the potential pitfalls?

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 work for a reputable estate agency in Exeter where we have experienced a few flat sales derailed due to short leases. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Exeter conveyancing firms. Please can you shed some light as to whether the owner of a flat can instigate the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

Exeter Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Best to be warned if changing the roof or some other major work is anticipated to be shared amongst the tenants and will dramatically increase the the service charges or require a one off payment. Be sure to enquire if there are any onerous prohibitions in the lease. By way of example it is reasonably common in Exeter leases that pets are not permitted in in a block in Exeter. If you like the propertyin Exeter however your dog can’t move with you then you will be faced difficult determination.