The conveyancer who helped my last purchase has given a fee estimate just over a thousand pound for fixed fee conveyancing in South Norwood. I’m hoping to downsize from a Victorian property for £150,000. This sounds overpriced. Is it above what I should be paying for conveyancing in South Norwood?

The charges are a tad high. If you shop around you could reduce the fees slightly by perhaps a hundred pounds. On the other hand, you couldlive to regret choosing an an untested conveyancer. Remember to be sure that the solicitor can act for your lender. Do make use of our search tool to get a quote a South Norwood conveyancing practice on the banks member panel which can often include conveyancing solicitors in South Norwood.

Can I use your services to locate a Conveyancing solicitor in South Norwood even where I’m not buying or disposing of a house, for example if I intend to acquire an office in South Norwood with a mortgage from The Royal Bank of Scotland?

Our comparison service is mainly utilised to find residential conveyancing solicitors in South Norwood but we have listed at the end of this page a few South Norwood commercial conveyancing firms. You should make contact with the firm directly to check if they are also authorised to represent The Royal Bank of Scotland

We previously chose conveyancing lawyers located in South Norwood on the Virgin Money solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a separate charge for handling the Virgin Money mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by Virgin Money?

As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your solicitor is entitled to levy a fee for this. This fee is not set by Virgin Money but by your South Norwood property lawyer. Plenty of firms on the Virgin Money panel will levy an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.

I am purchasing a property in South Norwood. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Bank of Ireland 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 Bank of Ireland your lawyer must follow the conveyancing requirements set out in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Bank of Ireland. The CML Handbook contains minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Bank of Ireland where a lease does not meet these specifications. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not isolated to South Norwood.

I have paid off my mortgage with Coventry BS. I assume I don't need a South Norwood lawyer on the Coventry BS panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.

If you have finished paying off your Coventry BS mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Coventry BS mortgage from the register. Coventry BS, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Coventry BS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Coventry BS has instructed the Land Registry to do so

My wife and I have a renovated Victorian house in South Norwood. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Coventry Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in South Norwood and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also check the position with your conveyancing solicitor who completed the work.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in two weeks back in what was supposed to be a quick, chain free conveyancing. South Norwood is where the house is located. Can you offer any guidance?

Flying freeholds in South Norwood are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in South Norwood you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in South Norwood may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.