Recently contacted my conveyancing solicitor in Horley who acted for me 18 months ago requesting a conveyancing costs illustration based on the same type of house sale & purchase (a leasehold property and a freehold premises) of similar values with a mortgage from Aldermore. It looks as though am now being charged double. Stick with what I know or should I seek out a cheaper online property lawyer?
The charges are a tad high. If you shop around you could trim some of the expense by say a hundred pounds. On the other hand, providing that you were satisfied with the service the firm gave you couldcome to rue opting for an a cheaper conveyancer. Don't forget to be sure that the firm can act for Aldermore. Do employ our search tool to get a quote a Horley conveyancing firm on the Aldermore approved list of lawyers, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Horley.
IfI were to buy a simple residential propertyin Horley mortgage fee and dispense with a survey and no local authority searches how much would I expect to have to pay for conveyancing in Horley?
The sole reduction in fees you would make on is the disbursement for searches. A property lawyer still got to do everything else - money laundering, communicating with your vendors conveyancing practitioner, SDLT submission, register the property etc. You might save a bit for them not needing to register a charge but it won't be a lot.
What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Horley? Is this really warranted?
Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering laws require solicitors and licensed conveyancers to verify the identification documents of the person or body they are dealing with prior to agreeing to accepting their conveyancing instruction. The Terms and Conditions that you need to sign should reaffirm this. Your lawyer also has obligations to obtain certain documents in accordance with the CML Lenders Handbook requirements last updated on 1st December 2014. Where you refuse to hand over ID verification documents, your lawyer will not be able to take you on as a client.
Forgive me if this question is silly but I am unexperienced as a 1st time buyer of a two bedroom flat in Horley. Do I pick up the keys to the house on completion from my conveyancer? If this is the case, I will use a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Horley?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will transfer the completion advance to the seller's lawyers, and once they have received this, you should be called to receive the keys from the selling Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this occurs between 1 and 3pm.
We expect to receive a DIP from HSBC this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do HSBC recommend any Horley solicitors on the HSBC conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Horley solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the HSBC conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and HSBC through the process.
After shopping around on the internet I have found a Horley property lawyer having made sure that they are on the HSBC conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
HSBC will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually HSBC 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. You may wish to consider appointing your own Horley surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
Is it best to appoint a Horley conveyancing solicitor based in the area that I am buying? I have an old university friend who can execute the legal work however they are based 200kilometers drive away.
The benefit of a local Horley conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to execute documents, present your ID and pester them if necessary. They will also have local knowledge which is a benefit. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust instructed your friend and in the main were content that should outweigh using an unknown Horley conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being based in the area.