Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Sanderstead is not on my mortgage company's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of his conveyancing?
It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly plausible explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (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. If you are concerned you should simply call the Sanderstead conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.
I require conveyancing for an apartment in a relatively new development (6 years built) in Sanderstead. 95% of the properties have already been sold. Do I need carry out the conveyancing searches as part of conveyancing in Sanderstead?
If you are acquiring a property with the assistance of a loan, your lender will insist on some (many) of the searches so you'll have no choice. If not, then Sanderstead conveyancing searches are optional. Your solicitor, will ’encourage’, perhaps in the strongest possible terms, that you should not go ahead without searches, but he or she has a professional duty to do this. One thing to bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future buyer what the searches contain. Sometimes houses with no practical issues can still throw up adverse search results. But if you choose to instruct your lawyer to proceed without searches then your lawyer will have to follow your instructions or you may need to instruct a new lawyer for your conveyancing in Sanderstead.
When it comes to lenders such as Leeds Building Society, do Sanderstead solicitors face an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are unaware of any lender fees to register on their panel, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
We had instructed conveyancing lawyers based in Sanderstead on the Santander solicitor approved list. They are now charging me an additional amount for dealing with the Santander mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Santander?
Unfortunately, so long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your conveyancing practitioner may charge a fee for this. This charge is not dictated by Santander but by your Sanderstead conveyancing practitioner. Plenty of firms on the Santander panel will quote an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.
We have agreed to purchase a house in Sanderstead. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. RBS have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with RBS your lawyer must comply with the formal requirements outlined in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for RBS. The CML Handbook contains minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to RBS where a lease does not satisfy these specifications. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not restricted to Sanderstead.
How does conveyancing in Sanderstead differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Sanderstead contact us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is ready to move into. This is because new home sellers in Sanderstead usually buy the site, 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 used to new build conveyancing in Sanderstead or who has acted in the same development.
I need to appoint a conveyancing solicitor for freehold conveyancing in Sanderstead. I happened to stumble upon a web site which seems to have the perfect solution If it is possible to get all the legals done via phone that would be ideal. Do I need to be concerned? What should out be looking out for?
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?