We went with a high street lawyer for my conveyancing in St Helens today. Reviewing the terms of engagement I notewe are on the hook for fees even if the movedoes not go ahead. Should I go with them or instruct a web based conveyancing brokerage promising no completion no charge conveyancing in St Helens?
It is usually a trade off in that if "No Completion No Fee" is available then the fee levels will tend to be be uplifted to offset the transactions that do not go ahead. Dont forget that such arrangements generally do not protect you from outlay e.g. St Helens conveyancing search costs.
I am expecting a OIP from Principality this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Principality recommend any St Helens solicitors on the Principality conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint St Helens solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Principality conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Principality through the process.
I have a mortgage with Kent Reliance for my property in St Helens. Conveyancing was finalised a year ago. In the event that I decide to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Kent Reliance?
Kent Reliance must be informed of your intention in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Kent Reliance’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Kent Reliance 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 Kent Reliance directly. You need not do this via a Kent Reliance conveyancing panel lawyer.
Having digested plenty of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local St Helens solicitor - who is on the Barclays conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Barclays will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Barclays 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 St Helens 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 necessary to take out insurance to cover chancel repairs when acquiring a property in St Helens?
Unless a previous purchase of the house completed after 12 October 2013 you may assume that lawyers handling conveyancing in St Helens to continue to propose a a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
I own a semi-detached Georgian property in St Helens. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Leeds Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same property. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??
You should review 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 St Helens and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also check the situation with the conveyancing solicitor who conducted the work.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in two weeks back in what was supposed to be a simple, chain free conveyancing. St Helens is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?
Flying freeholds in St Helens are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside St Helens you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in St Helens may determine 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.