Our solicitor has discovered a a legal deficiency with the lease for the apartment we are buying in Caterham. The seller’s lawyers have offered title insurance as a workaround. We are content with insurance and will cover the costs. Our property lawyer has advised that he must check that the bank is content with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the mortgage company ?
Notwithstanding that you have a mortgage offer from the mortgage company does not mean to say that the property will meet their specifications for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions. You and the bank are the client. These conveyancing instructions must be adhered to.
If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Caterham what would it be?
Do not opt for the cheapest Caterham conveyancing quote. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. 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 know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of the deal.
Can I be sure that the Caterham conveyancing solicitor on the Leeds Building Society panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Caterham seeking recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always recommend that you speak with the solicitor carrying out your conveyancing.
Our sealed bid on a detached house in Caterham has been accepted, but there is a chain. The sellers have put an offer on a property, however it’s not yet agreed to, and are looking at other properties booked. I have selected a high street conveyancing solicitor in Caterham. What do I do now? At what point should I apply for the mortgage with Yorkshire BS?
It is normal to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses too early (mortgage application is in the region of £1k, then survey, Caterham conveyancing search charges, etc). The first course of action is to check that your lawyer is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. As to the next steps this very much dictated by the uniqueness of your case, motivation for this property and on the state of the market. During a rising market many buyers would apply for a home loan with Yorkshire BS and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their property lawyer to press on with searches.
How does conveyancing in Caterham differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Caterham contact us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is ready to move into. This is because new home sellers in Caterham typically purchase the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Caterham or who has acted in the same development.
Is it possible to swap firm as I have to select one who is on the Britannia conveyancing panel. I hired a local conveyancing solicitor in Caterham five minutes from me but the firm is not approved by Britannia
We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in Caterham on the Britannia panel. Please note that the law firms that we on the directory do not pay us fee if you instruct them and are fully regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who regulate all conveyancing solicitors in Caterham. In utilising search facility on this site, you can scrutinise fees for conveyancing solicitors in Caterham and throughout England and Wales.
I purchased a flat in Caterham last 27/1/2025 and to date it is still not registered with HMLR. It was part of a new estate and my conveyancer told me that it may take twelve months to register. I have contacted HMLR directly and they say that the original application was cancelled due to failure to reply to requisitions. Should I be concerned?
Contact your property lawyer - Where you are unsatisfied with the responses, find out about their firm’s complaints protocol and amplify your problem to a Complaints Manager. Registrations for Caterham conveyancing are not known to be especially complex.