Finally, a mortgage offer from Santander for the remortgage of my 2 bedroom apartment is to be issued any day now. Could you suggest a cheap conveyancing law firm in Rickmansworth?

You are on the wrong site if you are in need of the lowest fares for conveyancing in Rickmansworth. Our aim is to provide value for money conveyancing but we do not aim to advertise as being the cheapest. Resist the temptation to appoint organisations offering the bait of ninety nine pound conveyancing in Rickmansworth. Optimistically, in choosing a lawyer for cheap conveyancing, you will get your money’s worth and at worst you will end up being stung for additional fees and still not receive the service expected.

We previously selected solicitors locally in Rickmansworth on the Principality solicitor approved list. They are now charging me a separate sum for handling the Principality mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Principality?

As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your property lawyer can charge a fee for this. The charge is not dictated by Principality but by your Rickmansworth property lawyer. Some firms on the Principality panel will quote ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but some practices include it on their overall fee.

I am expecting a OIP from RBS this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do RBS recommend any Rickmansworth solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Rickmansworth solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the RBS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and RBS through the process.

I have a mortgage with Principality for my property in Rickmansworth. Conveyancing has been completed a year ago. If I am intending 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 Principality?

Your original mortgage agreement with Principality will provide that you need their approval in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Principality’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 Principality directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Principality conveyancing panel solicitor.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and found one near me in Rickmansworth I like with open areas and transport links in the vicinity, however it's only got 49 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Rickmansworth in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?

If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

Is it best to instruct a Rickmansworth conveyancing lawyer in close proximity to the house I am hoping to buy? I have an old university friend who can conduct the legal work but her office is 300miles drive away.

The primary upside of using a high street Rickmansworth conveyancing firm is that you can drop in to sign documents, hand in your identification documents and apply pressure on them where appropriate. They will also have local intelligence which is a bonus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have instructed your friend and they were happy that must surpass using an unknown Rickmansworth conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being round the corner.

I have been recommended a conveyancing solicitor in Rickmansworth. I need to find out if they are on the lender's approved list of lawyers. Could you or the bank confirm if they are on the panel?

You should call your solicitor and ask them if they are on the bank's approved list. Alternatively please get in touch with us and we can make some checks for you. Should the firm not be on the bank panel we we can help find a reputable conveyancing solicitor in Rickmansworth on the panel for your mortgage company.