One of our key jobs as a mortgage solicitor in London is to make sure the property you want to buy is of good title. Once you have put in an offer and instructed us as your mortgage solicitor in London, we check records to make sure that the seller is entitled to transfer the deeds of the property to you.
As well as this legal investigation, you will also need to instruct a surveyor to carry out a detailed structural and environmental report on your potential new home. As you mortgage solicitor in London, we can provide you with a list of reputable surveyors to contact.
Why is this necessary? Well, unfortunately, sometimes people aren’t always honest about the state of their house. There may be subsidence, damp, or any other number of problems to address that aren’t immediately obvious when you view the house. And, the seller may not be aware of these themselves.
There are also wider environmental factors to consider. The local environment may have changed since they bought the house: factories, power plants or new build houses could have gone up in the area, which all have the potential to affect the house and your experience of living in it.
Another investigation will be carried out by your mortgage lender, to establish the value of property. This only considers the existing value of the property and doesn’t look into factors which could affect its worth further down the line.
Even if you are buying a leasehold flat and therefore not responsible for the upkeep of the building as a whole, it’s still a wise idea to get a survey done. This will highlight any potential maintenance the landlord will need to carry out, which could in turn raise the rate of your service charge. It’s helpful to be aware of this before you buy, so you aren’t left with a huge hike in the future that you struggle to pay.
Call us today
Give us a call and find out how, as mortgage solicitor in London, we can help make sure you buy a property with your eyes wide open, so you can make an informed decision about whether to go ahead.
