The vendors of the house we are hoping to buy are using a conveyancing practitioner in Rayleigh who has insisted on a exclusivity contract with a non-refundable deposit of 5k. Is it wise to enter into such agreements?

Lock out contracts are contracts between a home seller and purchaser granting the buyer the sole right to the sale of the property for a limited period of time. For all intents and purposes, a lock out agreement is a contract specifying that you will be issued with a contract at a later date which is the contract for the actual sale. It is generally used for buyer assurance though in many situations, the proprietor may stand to benefit from such agreements as well. There are numerous positives and negatives to using them but you need to check with your conveyancer but beware that it may result in incurring more in conveyancing charges. In light of this these agreements are not popular in relation to conveyancing in Rayleigh.

What is the difference between a licensed conveyancer and conveyancing solicitor in Rayleigh

Two types of professional can execute conveyancing in Rayleigh namely CLC regulated conveyancers or solicitors. Both professionals provide the legal services that required to complete the disposal or purchase of property. They are both duty bound to conduct Rayleigh conveyancing to the same quality and guidelines so you may be safe in the knowledge that your conveyancing will be properly carried out and that all necessary steps should be accurately attended to.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Lloyds. I assume I don't need a Rayleigh solicitor on the Lloyds panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.

If you have finished paying off your Lloyds 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 Lloyds mortgage from the register. Lloyds, 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 Lloyds has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Lloyds has instructed the Land Registry to do so

It is unclear whether my bank requires a lease extension. I have called my Rayleigh building society branch on a couple of occasions and was reassured it wasn't a problem and they will lend. My Rayleigh conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they would not lend based on their published requirements. I simply don't know who is right.

The conveyancing practitioner must follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook section two specifications for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

I have been told that property searches are the number one reason for hinderance in Rayleigh house deals. Is that correct?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the top 10 causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Searches are unlikely to be the root cause of delay in conveyancing in Rayleigh.

Are there any apps to assist me to identify a Rayleigh solicitor on the Godiva Mortgages Ltd conveyancing panel? I have wheels and am prepared to travel upto 20miles to meet the conveyancer.

You can use the search on this page. Please select a lender and your location and you will see a number of Rayleigh conveyancing lawyers located nearest you. We have listed some Rayleigh conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can ring them to verify whether they are on the Godiva Mortgages Ltd panel

I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Rayleigh. Before diving in I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Rayleigh - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Rayleigh Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

This question is useful as a) areas may result in problems in the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate if services remain unpaid b) if the leasehold owners have a dispute with the running of the building you will want to have full disclosure Is anyone aware of any major works on the horizon that could add a premium to the maintenance charges? How long is the Lease?