Forgive me if this question is silly but I am new to the house moving as a first time buyer of a garden flat in Hermon. Do I collect the keys to the premises on completion from my conveyancer? If this is the case, I will instruct a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Hermon?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will arrange to send the completion advance to the vendor’s conveyancers, and once they have received this, you should be called to pick up the keys from the property Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this happens early afternoon.
We are due to move house in April. Will my conveyancing solicitor communicate with the removal company on the day of completion. Incidentally, can you recommend a removal company in Hermon. Conveyancing solicitor was found prior to coming across this website.
On the day of completion you can collect the house keys from your selling agent but this can only occur when the vendors solicitors advise the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be collected. After that you can inform the removal company that you are ready to move in. As a matter of policy we do not recommend a particular removal organisation but can help you choose a conveyancing in Hermon or a solicitor that specialises in conveyancing in Hermon.
I've digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Hermon solicitor - who is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Leeds Building Society will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Leeds Building Society will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Hermon postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Leeds Building Society, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Hermon.
My colleague recommended that where I am purchasing in Hermon I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?
This is a search is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Hermon conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and setting out important information about Hermon around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Hermon Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Hermon Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning Hermon.
The deeds to our property can not be found. The lawyers who handled the conveyancing in Hermon 4 years ago are no longer around. What are my next steps?
You no longer need to hold title deeds to establish that you own the land or property, given that the Land Registry have everything they need in a digital format.
How does conveyancing in Hermon differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Hermon approach us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is finished. This is because developers in Hermon tend to purchase 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 Hermon or who has acted in the same development.
I am looking for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and found one round the corner in Hermon I like with a park and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 52 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Hermon for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?
Should you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease may be problematic. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.