I have just been advised by my mortgage broker that my Cornwall lawyer is not on the lender Solicitor panel. How can I be sure whether this is correct?
The best course of action for you to take is to contact your Cornwall lawyer directly. You lawyer should inform you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your bank.
Our lender has suggested solicitors on their panel based in Cornwall but I would rather choose a conveyancing lawyer in Cornwall or nearer to where I live. Can you assist?
It is by no means the case that all Cornwall conveyancing practices are listed all lender’s conveyancing panel. Use the above search tool to locate a Cornwall conveyancing conveyancer on the on the lender panel.
My stepmother informed me that in purchasing a property in Cornwall there could be a number of restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external changes to a property. Is this right?
We are aware of anumerous of properties in Cornwall which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to external changes. Part of the conveyancing in Cornwall should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
I currently have a mortgage with Nationwide for my property in Cornwall. Conveyancing was finalised months ago. In the event that I decide to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Nationwide?
Your original mortgage agreement with Nationwide will provide that you need their approval before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Nationwide’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent 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 Nationwide directly. You need not do this via a Nationwide conveyancing panel solicitor.
I've read lots of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Cornwall solicitor - who is on the RBS conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
RBS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually RBS will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your property lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Cornwall postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with RBS, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Cornwall.
I have recentlybeen informed that Arc property Solicitors have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Cornwall for a purchase of a leasehold apartment 9 months ago. How can I be sure that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?
The easiest way to see if the premises is registered to you, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Cornwall conveyancing specialists.
How does conveyancing in Cornwall differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Cornwall contact us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is ready to move into. This is because developers in Cornwall typically acquire 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Cornwall or who has acted in the same development.