Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Dunmow is not listed on my bank's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of her work?

That would most likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are plenty of plausible explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Where you are concerned you should simply call the Dunmow conveyancing firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.

is it true that all Dunmow solicitor firms on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Some banks do list licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such organisation would be regulated by the CLC.

The mortgage over my property is with Virgin Money for my property in Dunmow. Conveyancing was finalised 12 months 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 Virgin Money?

Your original mortgage agreement with Virgin Money will provide that you need their approval in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Virgin Money’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 Virgin Money directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Virgin Money conveyancing panel lawyer.

Our sealed bid on a semi in Dunmow has been accepted, but there is a chain. The vendors have placed an offer on a flat, however it’s not been accepted yet, and are looking at other apartments booked. I have instructed a high street conveyancing solicitor in Dunmow. What do I do now? At what point do I apply for the mortgage with Kent Reliance?

It is usual to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses prematurely (mortgage application is approx £1k, then survey, Dunmow conveyancing search charges, etc). First, you should ensure that your conveyancer is on the Kent Reliance approved list. Regarding the subsequent phase this very much depends on the circumstances of your transaction, motivation for this property and on the state of the market. In a buoyant market some buyers would apply for the mortgage with Kent Reliance and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their conveyancer to press on with the conveyancing in Dunmow.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in Dunmow?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Dunmow. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

About to purchase a new build flat in Dunmow. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Here are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Dunmow

Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one close by in Dunmow I like with open areas and station nearby, however it's only got 52 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Dunmow suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?

Should you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be an issue. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.