We're in Hartlepool, FTBs buying with a mortgage (lender is Skipton , and our lawyer is on the Skipton conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the Skipton conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no conveyancer should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

We are buying a terrace house in Hartlepool. We would like to carry out an extension to the side at the property.Will legal conveyancing on the property include investigations to ascertain if these alterations were previously refused?

Your conveyancer will review the deeds as conveyancing in Hartlepool can sometimes identify restrictions in the title deeds which prohibit certain alterations or necessitated the permission of another owner. Many works require local authority planning consent and approval in accordance building regulations. Certain locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. It would be prudent to check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

We are getting the release of further monies on our mortgage from Skipton as we want to carry out a loft conversion to our house in Hartlepool. Do we need to choose a high street Hartlepool solicitor on the Skipton conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?

Skipton would not normally appoint firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Skipton panel.

I am buying a property in Hartlepool. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Co-operative be concerned?

As you are obtaining a mortgage with Co-operative your lawyer must comply with the conveyancing instructions outlined in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Co-operative. The CML Handbook sets out minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Co-operative where a lease fails to meet these provisions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not isolated to Hartlepool.

Just bought a detached house in Hartlepool , What is the estimated time for the Land Registry to record the transfer to my name? My Hartlepool conveyancing solicitor has been painfully slow, so I want to check the post completion formalities are concluded.

There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in Hartlepool registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can adjust subject to the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and if the Land registry communicate with any 3rd persons or bodies. At present in the region of three quarters of such applications are fully dealt with in less than three weeks but some can be subject to longer hold-ups. Registration takes place after the buyer is living at the property thus 'speed' is not usually an essential issue but if it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your solicitor can communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Hartlepool. Before I get started I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and most are in Hartlepool - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Hartlepool - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

Where a Hartlepool lease has less than eighty years it will impact the salability of the apartment. Check with your lender that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. A short lease means that you will most likely have to extend the lease at some point and you need to have some idea of what this would cost. Remember, in most cases you would need to own the property for a couple of years in order to be entitled to extend the lease. How much is the ground rent and service charge? What prohibitions are there in the Hartlepool Lease?

My wife and I plan to acquire our 1st house in Hartlepool. Conveyancing solicitor has been appointed. The mortgage adviser advised that a survey is not appropriate as the property is just fifteen years old.

The bare minimum you need a Home Buyer's Report. As the property is more than ten years old the property will not come with a warranty, so you don't want to take a risk. For a property that age with no signs of problems a Home Buyer's report could suffice. They will highlight any apparent issues and suggest additional investigation where appropriate. If there are any signs of problems get a comprehensive Building Survey from the beginning.