In the event thatI were to buy a simple residential homein Leicester for cash and have no survey and no conveyancing searches how much would I expect to to save on my conveyancing in Leicester?
Any savings you would achieve will be isolated to the Leicester conveyancing searches. A property lawyer is obliged to do the vast majority of work - money laundering, correspond with the sellers lawyer, SDLT submission, register the title etc. A marginal saving might be made by not needing to register a mortgage but it won't be significant.
At what point can the exchange of contracts happen for domestic conveyancing in Leicester and am I required to be at the solicitors branch?
If you are round the corner to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Leicester you are invited in to sign contracts. That being said, the lender approved solicitors we work with supply countrywide coverage for conveyancing and give just as comprehensive and professional a job for you when communicating with you electronically. The signing of the contract is not when everything is set in stone. A signed contract simply enables the firm to exchange contracts at the suitable time, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The exchange process is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where an extended "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Leicester)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.
Me and my brother own a 4 bedroom Edwardian house in Leicester. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and National Westminster Bank. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the matching property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
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 proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Leicester and other locations in 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 purchasers. You can also enquire as to the situation with the conveyancing practitioner who carried out the work.
Am I right to be suspicious by estate agents that I am dealing with are recommending a nationwide conveyancing firm rather than a High Street Leicester conveyancing company?
As is the case with lots of professional services, often recommendations from relatives can be extremely useful or valuable. But there are many players in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, financial adviser and lenders may suggest lawyers to use. On occasion these conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but occasionally there may be a financial incentive behind the endorsement. You are free to appoint your own conveyancer. You need to be aware that most lenders specify a panel list of conveyancers you have to use for the lender related work in your home move.
We're first time buyers - agreed a price, but the property agent informed us that the seller will only go ahead if we use the agent's preferred solicitors as they want a ‘quick sale’. We would rather use a local conveyancer used to conveyancing in Leicester
We suspect that the seller is unaware of this request. Should the owner desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a genuine buyer is counter productive. Speak to the owners direct and make sure they understand (a)you are serious purchasers (b)you are ready to go, with finances in place © you are unencumbered (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you intend to instruct your own,trusted Leicester conveyancing solicitors - as opposed tothe ones that will give their estate agent a referral fee or hit his conveyancing targets set by corporate headquarters.