Swindon’s housing market is showing some green shoots of recovery. House prices in the region rose 2% in the first quarter of 2013 to £182,230 compared to the same quarter in 20121. Furthermore, UK-wide figures reveal that mortgage lending increased in April. The latest report by Council Mortgage Lenders (CML) shows that £12.1bn worth of mortgages were taken out in April, 4% higher than in March and the highest monthly increase since late 20082. Buoyed by the launch of the Government’s Help to Buy scheme, which enables buyers to purchase a new build home with as little as 5% deposit, thousands of potential homebuyers are expected to join the initiative in the coming months. If you are considering buying a new home, as well as securing a suitable mortgage offer, it is important to appoint a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to guide you through the home buying process. Here are some tips to help choose a conveyancer: - Solicitor and licensed conveyancers – Both a solicitor and a licensed conveyancer can help you buy, sell or re-mortgage your home. If you are looking for local conveyancing and legal advice in Swindon search for a solicitor with the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) logo. This means that they adhere to best practice in the industry.
If you opt for a licensed conveyancer, check that they are members of the main regulatory body, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC). - What is conveyancing? Conveyancing is the transfer of legal title of property or land from one person to another and includes several checks and searches.
As well as checking that the seller has the legal right to sell the property, a conveyancer checks and negotiates the terms of the seller’s draft contract on a buyer’s behalf and makes sure there aren’t any planning restrictions on the property, for example, a public right of way through the garden. They will also oversee the exchange of contracts and, on the day of completion, arrange for mortgage funds to be transferred. - Online or in-person? Some mortgage lenders only work with a list of approved conveyancers, so you must choose one of these.
Otherwise you can choose an online conveyancer or, if you prefer dealing with someone in-person, there are law firms offering conveyancing and legal advice in Swindon. Unless dealing with a firm offering a fixed fee for conveyancing, always obtain an accurate breakdown of all the costs involved before committing. For a leading CQS accredited solicitor in Swindon, drop into Lemon&Co solicitors in Regent Circus or call 0800 135 7917. For more information visit: http://lemon-co.co.uk/
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