At what point can the exchange of contracts occur in residential conveyancing in Soho and am I required to be at the conveyancers branch?
If you are local to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Soho you are invited in to sign contracts. However, the firms we work with supply a nationwide conveyancing service and provide as equally diligent and professional a job for you when communicating with you by post or email. The executing of the purchase agreement is not the point of no return. A signed contract is necessary for the firm to address the formalities at the appropriate time, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The exchange process is is usually a five minute process, although where a long "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Soho)to be in the office at the appropriate time.
Is it correct that all Soho CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel?
It is true that some banks and building societies now use the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to remain on their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
is it true that all Soho conveyancing solicitors on the UBS conveyancing panel are regulated by the SRA?
As solicitors, in order to be on the UBS approved list of solicitors they would need to be regulated by the SRA. Some lenders do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the organisation would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
I'm at the point of looking at flats in Soho and I am now considering a potential offer. Should I already have a conveyancing practitioner appointed at this stage? I will be getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland.
It would be prudent to instigate your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the selling agent. Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel.
My colleague advised me that if I am purchasing in Soho I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?
A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Soho conveyancing searches. It is a large document of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out significant information about Soho around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Soho Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Soho.
Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Soho ahead of instructing conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor advised that some lenders tend refuse to give a loan on such a house.
It varies from the lender to lender. HSBC has different instructions from Nationwide. Should you wish to telephone us we can check with the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Soho. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
In my capacity as executor for the will of my uncle I am disposing of a house in Newport but live in Soho. My solicitor (based 300 miles awayneeds me to execute a statutory declaration prior to completion. Can you recommend a conveyancing solicitor in Soho who can witness this legal document for me?
strictly speaking you are unlikely to be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally or notary public or qualified solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are Soho based