My partner and I are intent on acquiring residence in Chepstow. My property lawyer is not on the bank conveyancing list. Can I still retain my Chepstow conveyancing solicitor even though they are not on the mortgage company approved list?

One will need to instruct a conveyancing practitioner to deal with the legal work required if you need a loan to buy your property. They will conduct all the relevant investigations on the property, ensuring that you’re properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the necessary mortgage paperwork is dealt with. One can instruct a Chepstow conveyancing practitioner of your choosing. However, if the conveyancer selected is not on the mortgage company solicitor panel supplemental charges will be incurred as separate legal representation will be need by the lender. Lender panel applications can be submitted, so where your lawyer has not in the past sought membership they should take the chance to apply.

As someone clueless as to the Chepstow conveyancing process what is your top tip you can give me concerning the home moving process in Chepstow

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Chepstow and elsewhere in Monmouthshire is often a confrontational experience. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists plenty of opportunity for conflict between you and other parties involved in the legal transfer of property. E.g., the seller, property agent and sometimes your bank. Appointing a law firm for your conveyancing in Chepstow is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE party in the transaction whose role it is to act in your legal interests and to protect you.

On occasion a third party with a vested interest will try and persuade you that it is in your interests to do things their way. For example, the property agent may claim to be assisting by claiming that your conveyancer is wrong. Or your financial adviser may try to convince you to do something that is against your lawyers guidance. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties when it comes to the legal transfer of property.

There are a variety of conveyancing solicitors in Chepstow but how do I know who I should use?

It would be unwise to be swayed by the lowest Chepstow conveyancing quote. You really do get what you’re paying 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 advance.

Are all Chepstow Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Lloyds conveyancing list of approved firms?

Some major banks and building societies now utilise CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to join their approved list of firms.

After weeks of negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Chepstow. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their conveyancing practitioner. I paid an on account payment of £200. Soon after, the conveyancer contacted me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the HSBC conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the HSBC panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £305k and found one round the corner in Chepstow I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, however it's only got 61 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Chepstow suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.

I am using a search engine for the phrase cheap conveyancing in Chepstow it shows results of numerous conveyancerslocally. How do I determine which is the suitable solicitor for purchase transaction?

The preferential method of finding the right conveyancer is via personal testimonial, so seek the counsel of colleagues and those you trust who have bought a property in Chepstow or the local estate agent or financial adviser. Fees for conveyancing in Chepstow differ, so it's sensible to obtain a minimum of four costs illustrations from varying types of property lawyers. Make sure that you clarify that the fees are fixed.