Conveyancing in Havering
Conveyancing refers to the legal process carried out by a property lawyer when transferring ownership of a property from the seller to the buyer. If you need a solicitor for conveyancing in Havering, we can help you with fast & proactive conveyancing from a national panel of conveyancing specialists.
We have years of experience helping homemovers in Havering and throughout London 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: Barnet, Croydon, Edmonton, East London and London
Buying property in Havering
The principle town in the London Borough of Havering is Romford. Other districts include Hornchurch, Upminster and Rainham.
The housing is mainly suburban development round large areas of protected green space.
Although average house prices have been lower than other Outer London boroughs the last year has seen prices soar with the anticipated arrival of Crossrail. This trend is expected to continue once the full through service from Romford station to central London starts at the end of 2019.
Council Tax in Havering (2023/24)
Band | Amount |
---|---|
A | £1,392.09 |
B | £1,624.10 |
C | £1,856.11 |
D | £2,088.13 |
E | £2,552.16 |
F | £3,016.19 |
G | £3,480.22 |
H | £4,176.26 |
What will my solicitor do?
A conveyancing solicitor will address all the legal details of a home purchase. Your solicitor will perform required due diligence, like applying for searches from local authorities (e.g. Havering Council), raising questions about how the seller has used the property and reviewing contracts of sale.
Havering conveyancing solicitors may carry out checks for issues related to flats, such as spiralling ground rents.
Buying a property with a mortgage?
As part of the conveyancing process, your solicitor also has to handle legal due diligence on behalf of the bank arranging your mortgage. If your lawyer isn't accepted on your chosen mortgage provider's panel, it could take weeks longer to buy your house.
Our chosen partner solicitors have established relationships with the majority of mortgage lenders, helping to ensure your transaction completes faster.
Read more:
Conveyancing for buying a property
Find out if our panel solicitors can act for your mortgage lender
We can help Havering home buyers with conveyancing for:
When purchasing a house or flat in a Havering conservation area, your conveyancer will need to check for potential planning issues, including replacement of original windows, and exterior paint restrictions. Conservation areas in Havering and across the London local authority include Queen Street, Foster Lane, Postman's Park and Fenchurch Street Station.Buying a house or flat in a conservation area
There are about half a million listed buildings in England and Wales, 150 of which are in London Borough of Havering. Havering listed buildings and properties include: Listed buildings come with complex rules that the owner must adhere to. Examples of the duties that listed building owners face include consent for any alterations that might change the character of the property, and an obligation to maintain the property's surroundings in a manner consistent with its historic character. Our specialist panel of property solicitors will offer guidance on the commitments a listed building owner must make. Read more:Buying a listed building
Shared ownership conveyancing is the service you will need, when you buy a share in a property from a social housing provider. Shared ownership conveyancing is more complex than buying a home outright. Whether you are staircasing shares in your current home, or buying a shared ownership property, our panel solicitors will help you complete the procedure.Shared Ownership
New Build Conveyancing
The conveyancing process for acquiring a new build in Havering is often more complex than other types of conveyancing.
A good solicitor in Havering must be able to deal with things like dealing with failures to arrange warranty provider inspections, handling initial Land Registry registration and checking new build warranties with warranty providers, including NHBC Buildmark, Advantage and ICW.
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Leasehold property
Purchasing a leasehold flat in the UK can be complex when compared to purchasing a freehold. The numerous common problems lying in wait for the unsuspecting purchaser can include legally technical issues like and freeholds sold without first refusal to leaseholders.
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
Selling property in Havering
For the sale of a Havering home, your solicitor will arrange all the necessary documentation, such as the contract of sale and ID forms.
Duties include resolving issues like a dispute with the freeholder and responding to enquiries from the buyer's solicitor.
Your solicitor will coordinate with both sides, including agents, managing agents and lenders, ensuring that the property sale is completed without incident.
Could the sale of a leasehold property be delayed?
Yes, it can take much more time to carry out the legal work to sell a leasehold house or flat, compared to the sale of a freehold property.
The buyer's conveyancer will expect to see these documents, like a copy of the freehold property's buildings insurance and details of any breaches by other leaseholders. The time needed by to source this information is the common cause of such delays.
The solicitor should get this underway even before a sale has been agreed, because the managing agent's information can take weeks to collect if it is difficult to contact the agent responsible for managing the property.
Read more:
Selling a leasehold flat? What to do before going on the market
Conveyancing for selling a property
Remortgage in Havering
The current Bank of England base rate is 5.25% (9 November, 2024)
Don't forget to confirm your conveyancer's lender panel status before you instruct your solicitor.
We work with solicitors who are on the legal panels of over 100 banks and building societies, so whether you are switching to an equity release mortgage from Yorkshire Building Society or taking out a flexible mortgage from Aviva, we can assist.
Read more:
Check our panel solicitors can act for your lender
Get a remortgage conveyancing quote
Havering Transfer of equity
If you intend to restructure the ownership of your home, whether you are giving a property to a family member, dealing with inheritance tax planning or buying out an ex-spouse after a divorce, you'll need to carry out a transfer of 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
How much do conveyancing solicitors fees cost in Havering?
Getting a quote takes moments - but understanding what is and isn't included in the quote can be challenging.
Conveyancing legal 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 fees are what your solicitor or conveyancer charges you for the work they complete.
Disbursements
A disbursement is an expense your solicitor or conveyancer will pay on your behalf which will be added to your bill when you complete. Examples of disbursements include Stamp Duty, property searches and a plan search.
Check the quote for hidden costs
Some solicitors' quotes may include additional charges in their terms and conditions, leading to a higher-than-expected final bill. Watch out for additional charges, when comparing quotes.