I am buying a garden flat in Saxmundham. Conveyancing solicitors are said to be ‘a necessary evil’ but can I do it myself?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Saxmundham you will have to appoint a solicitor on your bank's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Saxmundham.

Are all Saxmundham Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Principality conveyancing panel?

It is true that some banks and building societies now utilise CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to join their panels.

Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Skipton. Saxmundham conveyancing solicitors are chosen. How long does it take for Skipton to send the offer to the solicitor?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Skipton done the valuation? Have you advised Skipton as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Skipton conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

The mortgage over my property is with Nationwide for my property in Saxmundham. Conveyancing was finalised some time 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 Nationwide?

Nationwide must be informed of your intention in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Nationwide’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will permit you to let 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 Nationwide directly. You need not do this via a Nationwide conveyancing panel firm.

A colleague advised me that if I am purchasing in Saxmundham I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is usually quoted for as part of the standard Saxmundham conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of about 40 pages, listing and setting out important information about Saxmundham around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Saxmundham Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Saxmundham.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and identified one near me in Saxmundham I like with open areas and transport links in the vicinity, however it's only got 52 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Saxmundham suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

Can a conveyancer remove someone from the title of my property in Saxmundham ?

Extracting or adding someone to the title of your house is relatively straightforward. You’ll need to appoint a lawyer to discuss your legal rights before you can proceed with a transfer of property. Contact us to book a free consultation with one a solicitor