Harrow On The Hill - It's not just what you know, it's who you know. By building contacts with local authorities, your Solicitor can deliver Conveyancing with fewer delays, and keep you better informed and they are also cognisant of the issues and considerations native to the area.

Official Searches in Harrow On The Hill

When purchasing a property in Harrow On The Hill your solicitor will conduct Official Local Authority Searches. The Local Authority for Harrow On The Hill is London Borough of Harrow Council, Harrow Civic Centre, Station Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 2XF. Tel: 020 8863 5611 or out of hours emergencies on: 01942 40 40 41

My solicitor is not on my Lender's panel - what do I do?

Lenders once permitted any solicitors' firm to join their panel. These panels were established so that firms could join and thereby perform legal work on mortgages on behalf of lenders. However, mortgage lenders have started removing firms which do not carry out much work for them, or have not met certain additional criteria. If your Harrow On The Hill conveyancing solicitor is not on your preferred lender's panel, then the lender will not instruct that firm to act in connection with the mortgage. You then have a choice:

• Try to obtain a mortgage from another lender who will instruct your Conveyancing solicitor.
• Instruct another firm of Conveyancing solicitors who are on your lender's panel to handle your Conveyancing.
• Continue with your present Conveyancing solicitor, but accept that a separate firm will also act for the lender, and that you will have to pay their costs in addition.

It is usually cheaper to have the same firm act both for you and your lender, and carry out all the conveyancing work in connection with a purchase and the mortgage. Consider these issues if you are intending to stay with your solicitor rather than opt for your mortgage lender's choice:

• You will have to pay your lender's legal costs
• By being required to send documents to the lender's solicitors, delays will inevitably occur
• You will be unable to contact the lender's firm directly, as they will be acting for the lender rather than you

Disadvantaged Areas in Harrow On The Hill

Regions within Harrow On The Hill have been qualified as 'disadvantaged areas' eligible for stamp duty relief, using local government wards to delineate boundaries. Residential purchases under £150,000 may be eligible for stamp duty relief. Above this designated limit of £150k, the normal rates of duty apply, and no further relief may be available. A postcode search is worth undertaking to determine whether a residence under the £150k threshold is in a Disadvantaged area. However this is not always accurate, and may not work for recently built properties.