My stepmother advised me that in buying a property in Harlow there could be a number of restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external alterations to the property. Is this right?
We are aware of a number of properties in Harlow which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Harlow should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
I have paid off my mortgage with UBS. I assume I don't need a Harlow property lawyer on the UBS panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your UBS 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 UBS mortgage from the register. UBS, 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:
- but are not moving to another property
- where UBS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- UBS has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Harlow. I have a mortgage agreed with Coventry BS. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Coventry BS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel.
Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that could affect a commercial site in Harlow?
Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Harlow will execute a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers expend in looking into accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Harlow. The search result provides definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Harlow.
For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Harlow it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately could cause delays to Harlow commercial conveyancing deals as well as pose a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not conducted for residential conveyancing in Harlow.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Harlow is the location of the property. Can you offer any assistance?
Flying freeholds in Harlow are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Harlow you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Harlow may ascertain 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.
Is it best to appoint a Harlow conveyancing lawyer who is local to the property I am buying? We have a good friend who can conduct the conveyancing but her office is 200miles drive away.
The benefit of a high street Harlow conveyancing firm is that you can attend the office to sign documents, hand in your identification documents and pester them if necessary. They will also have local intelligence which is a plus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust used your friend and in the main were content that must trump using an unfamiliar Harlow conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being round the corner.
I would like to sublet my leasehold flat in Harlow. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?
The lease governs relations between the landlord and you the flat owner; specifically, it will say if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain caveats. The rule is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. The majority of leases in Harlow do not prevent strict prohibition on subletting – such a provision would adversely affect the market value the property. In most cases there is simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a duplicate of the sublease.
I bought a leasehold flat in Harlow, conveyancing was carried out in 1999. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Harlow with a long lease are worth £260,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease runs out on 21st October 2099
With only 74 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as professional fees.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.