I am in the market for a low cost property lawyer. Should I go for for a nationwide conveyancer or a high street Oxfordshire conveyancing lawyer?
Oxfordshire is a unique place, where neighbourhood know-how is a big bonus. The laid-back lifestyle has an upside – just not for your house move. The solicitors that we work with providing exhaustive Oxfordshire know how with a professional, can doattitude that helps everything runs smoothly. It is a distinct advantage if they enjoy good relationships with financial advisers, search providers, valuers and counterpart Oxfordshire conveyancing practices
What is your number one tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Oxfordshire
It would be unwise to be seduced by the cheapest Oxfordshire conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.
This question may be naive but I am new to the process as FTB of a ground floor flat in Oxfordshire. Do I receive the keys to the property on the completion date from my lawyer? If so, I will use a local conveyancing solicitor in Oxfordshire?
On the day of completion you do not need to attend the conveyancers office in Oxfordshire. Conveyancing lawyers for you will arrange to send the purchase money to the vendor’s solicitors, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you should be invited to collect the keys from the property Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen early afternoon.
The mortgage over my property is with Nottingham for my property in Oxfordshire. Conveyancing has been completed a year ago. If I am intending to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Nottingham?
You must advise Nottingham in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Nottingham’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent 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 Nottingham directly. You need not do this via a Nottingham conveyancing panel solicitor.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in two weeks back in what was supposed to be a simple, chain free conveyancing. Oxfordshire is the location of the property. Can you offer any opinion?
Flying freeholds in Oxfordshire are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Oxfordshire you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Oxfordshire may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.
I was recommended by numerous selling agents in Oxfordshire to find a conveyancer using your seach tool. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to market your lawyers over and above alternative conveyancing organisations?
We refuse to offer any commission for directing people in our direction. We thought it would be too underhand a fee as members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.
I am looking for a conveyancing lawyer in Oxfordshire for my home move. Can I check a firm’s complaints history with the profession’s regulator?
You can read documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations arising from investigations commenced on or after Jan 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For information about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For callers outside the UK, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator sometimes monitor telephone calls for training reasons.