My partner and I are looking to purchase a house in Kibworth and are in fact using a Kibworth conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our conveyancer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. Virgin Money have this morning contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Kibworth conveyancer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?
When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is standard for the purchasers' lawyers to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Kibworth lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
I am helping my step-mother sell her property in Kibworth. Will the solicitor order an energy performance certificate or do I organise this?
Following the abolition of Home Packs, energy performance certificates was retained a required element of moving house. An energy assessment needs to be commissioned in advance of the property being marketed. It is not something that law firms normally arrange. Where you are instructing a Kibworth conveyancing practitioner they may help arrange energy assessments due to their contacts with long established local providers
A friend advised me that in buying a property in Kibworth there could be a number of restrictions preventing external alterations to the property. Is this right?
There are a number of properties in Kibworth which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Kibworth should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
My wife and I buying a terrace house in Kibworth. Our aim is to convert the garage to a playroom at the property.Will the conveyancing process involve investigations to see if these alterations are allowed?
Your conveyancer will review the registered title as conveyancing in Kibworth can sometimes reveal restrictions in the title deeds which prevent certain changes or necessitated the permission of another owner. Certain works need local authority planning consent and approval in accordance building regulations. Many locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. It would be prudent to check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
A colleague suggested that if I am purchasing in Kibworth I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
This is a search is usually quoted for as part of the standard Kibworth conveyancing searches. It is a large report of about 40 pages, listing and setting out important information about Kibworth around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data concerning Kibworth.
The deeds to our home can not be found. The conveyancers who handled the conveyancing in Kibworth 4 years ago have long since closed. What do I do?
Assuming you have a registered title the details of your ownership will be evidenced by HMLR with a Title Number. It is possible to perform a search at the Land Registry, identify your house and order current copies of the Registered Entries for a small fee. Where the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will also normally hold a certified copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be obtained for £20 inclusive of VAT.
I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing solicitor in Kibworth for my home move. Is it possible to see a solicitor's complaints history with the profession’s regulator?
One can search for published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations arising from investigations started on or after 1 January 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find information Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors record, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA sometimes monitor call for training requirements.