There are plenty of conveyancing solicitors in Portland but how do I know who's good?

We would encourage you not to go for the cheapest Portland conveyancing fees. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. 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 go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

The mortgage over my property is with Nottingham for my property in Portland. Conveyancing was finalised months ago. If I am intending 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 Nottingham?

Nottingham must be informed of your intention prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Nottingham’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Nottingham 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 Nottingham directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Nottingham conveyancing panel solicitor.

I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Portland. My financial adviser suggested a solicitor. I paid an on account payment of £225. A few days later, the conveyancing practitioner contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Barclays 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 Barclays 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.

Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that could impact a commercial property in Portland?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Portland will carry out a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers expend in looking into accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Portland. The report provides definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Portland.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Portland it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can result in delays to Portland commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not ordered for domestic conveyancing in Portland.

How does conveyancing in Portland differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Portland come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is finished. This is because house builders in Portland tend to buy 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 conveyancers 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 used to new build conveyancing in Portland or who has acted in the same development.

I need to find a conveyancing solicitor for remortgage conveyancing in Portland. I happened to land on a web site which looks to be the perfect answer If there is a chance to get all the legals completed via phone that would be ideal. Do I need to be wary? What are the potential pitfalls?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

Your search tool is useful but there are many lawyers listed near Portland being on the mortgage company conveyancing panel. Can you recommend a specific firm on the mortgage company approved panel?

We are not in the business of recommending one firm above another as the right Portland conveyancing firm for you depends on where your priorities lie. For example you may require a local firm with Portland knowledge or you might be looking for the low cost conveyancing. We recommend that you speak to 3 or 4 lawyers listed before you make your choice..