We are about to exchange contracts for a garden flat in Morden. We have hit a problem. Our loan offer with Skipton Building Society expires on 3/11/2026 but the owners are suggesting a completion date of 5/11/2026. Is it possible to prolong the loan offer?
The best person to deal with your concern is your lawyer who will calculate whether he or she is better off negotiating with the bank, seller’s lawyers, selling agents or possibly all three based on the history of your house move to date.
I am in the process of refinancing my flat in Morden, does my lawyer need to be on the Lloyds Conveyancing panel?
In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the Lloyds conveyancing panel, but Lloyds would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same transaction.
We are purchasing a house in Morden. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a solicitor? On completion day we will need to deposit money into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our monies?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
I am the only recipient of my late father’s estate with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in Morden. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in August. I now wish to sell up. I do know about the CML 6 month 'rule', meaning my property ownership will be treated the same way as if I'd bought the property in August. Is the property unsalable for six months?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook mandates conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you could be affected by that. How sensible a view mortgage companies take of it, depend on the mortgage company as this requirement chiefly exists to pick up on subsales or the wholesaling and assigning of property.
I am buying a property in Morden. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Principality be concerned?
Given that your lender is Principality your lawyer must follow the formal instructions set out in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Principality. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook sets out minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Principality where a lease fails to comply with these specifications. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not restricted to Morden.
My wife and I purchased a renovated Georgian property in Morden. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Nottingham Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??
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 Morden and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the conveyancing.
How does conveyancing in Morden differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Morden approach us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is completed. This is because house builders in Morden typically purchase the site, 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 Morden or who has acted in the same development.
Am I best advised to instruct a Morden conveyancing solicitor based in the area that I am buying? I have an old university friend who can deal with the conveyancing but his firm is located approximately 350miles drive away.
The benefit of a local Morden conveyancing practice is that you can attend the office to execute documents, hand in your identification documents and pester them if necessary. They will also have local insight which is a plus. That being said it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If you know people who used your friend and in the main were impressed that must surpass using an unknown Morden conveyancing lawyer just because they are Morden based.