This question may be naive but I am wet behind the ears as a first time purchaser of a garden flat in Hockley. Do I collect the keys to the house on the completion date from my solicitor? If so, I will appoint a local conveyancing solicitor in Hockley?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will transfer the completion advance to the owner’s lawyers, and once they have received this, you will be called to collect the keys from the selling Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this happens between 1 and 3pm.
Does a directory service exist listing Skipton panel conveyancers in Hockley on the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Website?
Unfortunately not yet. There is no such tool on the CML or Building Society Association sites. Very few mortgage companies make their panel listings available on the web. Where you are looking for a Hockley property lawyer on the Skipton please make the most of our facility.
I had an offer accepted on a house in Hockley on 29/5/2025, valuation was booked 2 days after, all came back fine. Conveyancer instructed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Co-operative and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Co-operative to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
I have been told that property searches are a common cause of stalling in Hockley conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the top 10 causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Searches are unlikely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in Hockley.
I own a semi-detached Victorian property in Hockley. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Aldermore. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold with the matching address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Hockley and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also enquire as to the situation with the conveyancing solicitor who conducted the purchase.
How does conveyancing in Hockley differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Hockley come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is ready to move into. This is because builders in Hockley typically purchase the land, 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 property lawyers 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 Hockley or who has acted in the same development.
As co-executor for the estate of my uncle I am selling a house in Swansea but reside in Hockley. My conveyancer (who is 200 kilometers from merequires that I sign a statutory declaration prior to the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing solicitor in Hockley who can attest this legal document for me?
Technically speaking you should not need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally or notary public or qualified solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are based in Hockley