The owners have very assertive sellers who has suggested a lock out contract with a non-refundable deposit 6,000. Is it wise to enter into such agreements?
There are two primary concerns with entering into any lock out contract (occasionally termed an exclusivity agreement) is that it can distract from making progress with the conveyancing work, so in the absence of it needing little or no negotiation then it could transpire to be a hindrance. It is not particularly popular amongst St Athan conveyancing solicitors for this reason. A further negative is the extent of the remedies available - a jilted purchaser should not expect to win injunctive relief to stop the owner completing the sale to a third party, so the only remedy available under the agreement will be the reimbursement of wasted costs and, in limited scenarios, the extra payment of penalties.
About to place a bid on a leasehold property in St Athan. The selling agents advise that it is the norm for flats in St Athan to have less than 75 years left on the lease. I am expecting a loan with Chelsea Building Society. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has Seventy One years left.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Chelsea Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 14/5/2026 the requirements read as follows :
I have todayfound out that Stirling Law have closed. They carried out my conveyancing in St Athan for a purchase of a leasehold flat 10 months ago. How can I check that the property is registered correctly in the name of the former proprietor?
The quickest method to see if the premises is in your name, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of St Athan conveyancing specialists.
I'm converting the mortgage on my current property to a buy to let loan with Accord Mortgages Ltd and intend to use the remaining equity as a down payment on further property. The neighborhood we are talking about is St Athan. Will your conveyancers be able to act for the two lenders and link together the transactions?
Make use of our comparison tool on this site to be sure that the solicitors are on the relevant lender panels. Having checked that they are the conveyancer should be able to simultaneously deal with the two conveyancing matters but you should talk with you lawyer and communicate your desired outcome and requirements.
Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in St Athan from the perspective of expediting the sale process?
- A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in St Athan can be avoided if you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ representatives. If you have had conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a property where there is a current dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic rather than ongoing. Many landlords or managing agents in St Athan charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold home. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in St Athan. A minority of St Athan leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers. If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Organising a replacement share certificate can be a time consuming process and frustrates many a St Athan home move. If a reissued share certificate is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this as soon as possible.
I invested in buying a 1 bedroom flat in St Athan, conveyancing was carried out 10 years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Corresponding flats in St Athan with an extended lease are worth £216,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease terminates on 21st October 2096
With just 70 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as costs.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.
We are first time buyers just having agreed a price on a property in St Athan, and need to get solicitors lined up. We have made use of the various comparison tools and the results are from all over the England and Wales. Is it critical to have a St Athan lawyer local to our prospective property? I am content to do everything electronically, but I am thinking at some point we will need to attend the property lawyer's office to sign papers?
The lawyer does not need to be in St Athan, but opting for local means that you have the option to visit their offices if required, by way of example, if a signature is immediately necessary. Also, a St Athan solicitor is likely to be familiar with local agents and (if the vendor has chosen a local lawyer) with them, which will help smooth the process.