How do I find out if the solicitor carrying out my conveyancing in Hove is on the mortgage lender’sconveyancing panel? I am looking to avoid the situation of having one lawyer for me and one for Barclays thus spending £192.00 in further conveyancing charges.

You should make the most of the find a lender approved solicitor tool on this web page. Please choose the lender and type ‘Hove’ or your preferred area and you will be presented with numerous solicitors offices in Hove or by proximity to you.

I am helping my niece sell her house in Hove. Will the solicitor commission an energy assessment or do I organise this?

After the abolition of HIPs, energy performance certificates was retained a compulsory component of selling a house. An energy performance certificate should be to hand prior to the property being put on the market. It is not something that solicitors ordinarily organise. If you are using a Hove conveyancing lawyer they might be able to arrange EPC’s due to their relationships with long established local energy assessors

I had a mortgage agreed in principle with Principality. Hove conveyancing solicitors are chosen. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Principality?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Principality conducted the valuation? Have you informed Principality as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Principality conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.

At last I have had an offer on a flat in Hove accepted, but there is a chain. The sellers have offered on a flat, but it’s not yet tied up, and are looking at other flats booked. I have instructed a local conveyancing solicitor in Hove. What do I do now? When do I get the mortgage application with Skipton started?

It is understandable to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (home loan application is in the region of one thousand pounds, then survey, Hove conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you must check that your solicitor is on the Skipton conveyancing panel. Regarding the next phase this very much depends on the circumstances of your transaction, attraction to the property and on the state of the market. During a hot market the majority of buyers would apply for the mortgage with Skipton and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their solicitor to proceed with searches.

I am buying my first flat in Hove with the aid of help to buy. The developers would not reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The sale representative told me not to tell my conveyancer about this extras as it would impact my loan with Lloyds TSB 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.

Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Hove prior to instructing conveyancers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor advised that some banks tend not give a mortgage on such a home.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different requirements for example to Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to call us we can check via the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Hove. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Hove. Conveyancing and Lloyds TSB Bank mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing solicitor in Hove who acted for me is not around. Any advice?

The first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Hove conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Hove Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should consider before buying

Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge liability? What is the yearly service fee and ground rent? Be sure to investigate if the the lease contains any adverse restrictions in the lease. For instance plenty of leases prohibit pets being allowed in in a block in Hove. If you like the apartmentin Hove however your dog can’t move with you then you have a very hard compromise.