I am in the throes of changing my current homeowner home loan to a BTL Virgin Money mortgage. I have been informed by my broker that I require a solicitor as part of the process. I had a chat my former Henlow conveyancing firm who dealt with the legals when I originally acquired the premises. The costs illustration sent of just over five hundred pounds has shocked me as I am not require purchase conveyancing - it’s just a straightforward remortgage.

The estimate fees appear a tad high. If you shop around you might get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by perhaps a hundred pounds. That being said, providing that you were pleased with the assistance the firm offered you couldcome to regret choosing an an untested conveyancer. If is important to ensure that the solicitor can represent Virgin Money. Do use our search tool to select a Henlow conveyancing firm on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Henlow.

As someone not used to conveyancing in Henlow what is the number one tip you can impart concerning the legal transfer of property in Henlow

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Henlow or throughout Bedfordshire is an adversarial process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of opportunity for friction between you and other parties involved in the legal transfer of property. E.g., the vendor, selling agent and sometimes your mortgage company. Appointing a lawyer for your conveyancing in Henlow should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY party in the transaction whose responsibility is to act in your legal interests and to keep you safe.

There is a distinct ongoing adversarial element to conveyancing- someone must be at fault for the process taking so long. You must always trust your lawyer ahead of the other players when it comes to the legal assignment of property.

Me and my partner are buying a flat in Henlow. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a lawyer? On completion day we will need to put money into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our deposit?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

When it comes to lenders such as Nationwide, do Henlow conveyancing practitioners face an annual charge to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are not aware of any mortgage company fees to register on their panel, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Henlow. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Nottingham have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

As your lender is Nottingham your lawyer must comply with the conveyancing instructions contained in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Nottingham. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook includes minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Nottingham where a lease does not meet these specifications. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not isolated to Henlow.

In what way can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my business offices in Henlow and how can you help?

The particular law that you refer to provides a safeguard to business lessees, granting the right to apply to court for a continuation of occupancy when the lease reaches an end. There are limited grounds where a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are complicated. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Henlow is one of the numerous locations in which our lawyers have offices

I’m about to sell my 2 bed apartment in Henlow. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, but I have just had a quarterly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

It best that you clear the maintenance contribution as normal given that all rents and maintenance charges should be allotted on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Henlow - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

Does this lease have more than 80 years unexpired? Is the freehold reversion owned collectively by the leaseholders? Make sure you enquire if the the lease includes any unreasonable restrictions in the lease. For example some leases prohibit pets being permitted in in a block in Henlow. If you love the flatin Henlow however your cat is not allowed to make the move with you then you will be presented with a difficult determination.