It is 10 years ago since I acquired my house in Whitehaven. Conveyancing solicitors have now been retained on the sale but I can't track down my deeds. Is this a problem?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be with the lender or they may be in the possession of the lawyers who oversaw your purchase. Secondly in most cases the land will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Whitehaven relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it is more of a problem but is not insurmountable.
I am the only recipient of my late grandmother’s estate and I have everything in my name now, including the house in Whitehaven. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in August. I want to move. I do know about the CML 6 month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship could be regarded the same way as if I'd bought the house in August. Is the property unsalable for six months?
The CML handbook mandates solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you may be impacted by that. How practical a view lenders take of it, depend on the lender as this provision is primarily there to identify subsales or the quick reselling of property.
When it comes to lenders such as Coventry BS, do Whitehaven solicitors have to pay a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are unaware of any bank fees to register on their panel, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
How can we tell if a Whitehaven conveyancing solicitor on the Co-operative panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Whitehaven seeking recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advocate that you speak with the solicitor carrying out your conveyancing.
How does conveyancing in Whitehaven differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Whitehaven come to us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is completed. This is because house builders in Whitehaven tend to 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 Whitehaven or who has acted in the same development.
We're novice buyers - agreed a price, yet the property agent informed us that the seller will only issue a contract if we instruct their recommended conveyancers as they are insisting on a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a family solicitor who is accustomed to conveyancing in Whitehaven
It is unlikely the vendors are driving this. Should the vendor want ‘a quick sale', alienating a motivated buyer is going to damage their objectives. Bypass the agents and go straight to the owners and explain that (a)you are motivated buyers (b)you are ready to go, with mortgage lined up © you do not need to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you will continue to use your own,trusted Whitehaven conveyancing firm - as opposed tothe ones that will earn the negotiator at the agency a kickback or achieve conveyancing thresholds set by HQ.
Back In 2003, I bought a leasehold house in Whitehaven. Conveyancing and Clydesdale mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Whitehaven who previously acted has now retired. What should I do?
The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Whitehaven conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.
I own a basement flat in Whitehaven, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Whitehaven with over 90 years remaining are worth £175,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2083
With 58 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £23,800 and £27,400 as well as costs.
The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.