Conveyancing in Hastings
Conveyancing is the legal process involved when ownership of a property is transferred from the seller to the buyer. If you need a solicitor for conveyancing in Hastings, we can help you with fast & proactive conveyancing from a national panel of conveyancing specialists.
We have years of experience helping homemovers in Hastings and throughout East Sussex handle their sale, purchase, buy-to-let, Help to Buy, Right to Buy, shared ownership, new build, leasehold, lease extensions, remortgage and transfer of equity.
Other areas covered: Bexhill, Brighton, Eastbourne and Hove
Buying property in Hastings
A town in East Sussex, Hastings is known for its Battle of Hastings history, Hastings Castle, and the nearby Hastings Country Park. Hastings has a railway station, providing links to London and Brighton. Hastings has a population of approximately 92,000.
Council Tax in Hastings (2023/24)
| Band | Amount |
|---|---|
| A | £1,552.11 |
| B | £1,810.80 |
| C | £2,069.48 |
| D | £2,328.17 |
| E | £2,845.54 |
| F | £3,362.91 |
| G | £3,880.28 |
| H | £4,656.34 |
What does a conveyancing solicitor do?
A solicitor plays an essential role during a property purchase, and helps the buyer with the legal side of a home purchase. The solicitor will perform required due diligence, such as raising questions about how the seller has used the property, arranging searches from entities including Hastings Council and registering the change of ownership.
Hastings conveyancing solicitors may carry out flood risk checks and conservation area restrictions.
Buying a home with a mortgage?
Whether you are buying a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) or buying an auction property, your solicitor must also complete legal work for the mortgage lender.
Acceptance on a lender's panel will mean your solicitor is able to represent your lender.
Over 100 banks and specialist lenders have approved our chosen panel lawyers, so we can help you complete your Hastings transaction without delay.
Read more:
Conveyancing for buying a property
Find out if our panel solicitors can act for your mortgage lender
Approved by over 100 more
We can also help Hastings home buyers with conveyancing for:
Roughly 500,000 listed properties exist across the country, 577 of which are in Hastings Borough Council. Hastings listed buildings and properties include: There are many additional things to consider when buying a listed building. Examples of the duties faced by listed property owners include regular upkeep, and required consent for landscaping. Our expert conveyancing solicitor panel will advise you on the obligations imposed by listed property ownership. Read more:Buying a listed building
Leasehold property
Purchasing a leasehold property in the UK requires a number of extra steps when compared to buying a freehold. The many potential problems awaiting the unsuspecting purchaser can include legally technical issues like unreasonable managing agent fees and leases with fewer than 80 years to run.
Your solicitor will look into all potential issues with the lease and report back to you.
Read more:
What you need to know about buying a leasehold property
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Selling a house or flat in Hastings
For the sale of homes in Hastings, the solicitor will arrange all the necessary documentation, such as the sale contract and property information forms, and will help you answer these forms.
The lawyer's duties entail handling obstacles like a dispute with a neighbour, answering the buyer's solicitor's questions and taking charge of the mortgage redemption. In order to assure a smooth transfer of ownership, your conveyancing solicitor will also communicate effectively with all parties, such as estate agents and banks or building societies.Does a leasehold property take longer to sell?
Yes. The legal work for selling a leasehold home can take much longer.
The solicitor acting for the buyer must review this leasehold-related paperwork, like management company information and a current statement of service charges. Typically, delays are due to the time it takes to source this information.
It can take a long time to gather these details if it is difficult to contact the landlord or managing agent or they are slow to respond, so the solicitor should get this underway even before a sale has been agreed.
Read more:
Selling a leasehold flat? What to do before going on the market
Conveyancing for selling a property
Remortgage conveyancing
The official base rate is 5.25% (7 December, 2024)
Before you instruct a remortgage solicitor, you will need to check that your lawyer can act for your chosen lender.
We work with remortgage solicitors who are on the legal panels of over 100 mortgage lenders, so whether you are switching to a fixed rate mortgage from Bank of Ireland or taking out a capped mortgage from Bluestone, we can assist.
Read more:
Check our panel solicitors can act for your mortgage lender
Get a remortgage conveyancing quote
Transferring Equity in Hastings
If you intend to restructure the ownership of your property, whether you are taking over the share of another owner, dealing with inheritance tax planning or gifting a home, you will need to transfer equity.
Your conveyancer will handle the legal side for a guaranteed fixed fee.
Read more:
Transfer of equity Stamp Duty calculator
Get a transfer of equity conveyancing quote
Conveyancing costs in Hastings: What to expect
Conveyancing fees
Your solicitor's quote will detail the fees for the legal work, including VAT, that you pay when the property transaction is complete. These legal fees are paid to your solicitor or conveyancer for the legal work that they complete on your behalf.
Disbursements
Disbursements are third-party costs paid by your solicitor on your behalf. Examples of disbursements include Stamp Duty and property searches.
Check what's included in your conveyancing quote
Some solicitors' quotes list extra charges in the small print, leading to a total cost that's much higher than the initial quote. When you compare conveyancing quotes, watch out for additional charges.
