Just contacted my conveyancing solicitor in Belvedere who acted for me 18 months ago and wanted a conveyancing costs illustration based on the same type of house move (a leasehold residence and a freehold premises) of almost identical values with a home loan from Bank of Scotland. I am now being charged twice the amount. Should I hunt for a cheaper internet firm of conveyancing solicitor?
The charges appear a bit high. If you you were to look around you might decrease the fees slightly by perhaps £125. On the other hand, if you were pleased with the legal work the firm gave you mightcome to regret opting for an an untested lawyer. Remember to enquire the firm can also act for Bank of Scotland. Do employ our search tool to get a quote a Belvedere conveyancing firm on the Bank of Scotland approved list of lawyers, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Belvedere.
As someone with no idea as to conveyancing in Belvedere what is your top tip you can impart concerning the ownership transfer in Belvedere
Not many law firms or advisers will tell you this but conveyancing in Belvedere or throughout England and Wales is an adversarial process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is an abundance of room for friction between you and others involved in the transaction. For instance, the seller, selling agent and on occasion your mortgage company. Choosing a law firm for your conveyancing in Belvedere should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE person in the legal process whose responsibility is to look after your legal interests and to keep you safe.
On occasion a potential adversary may attempt to persuade you that you should follow their advice. For example, the property agent may claim to be helping by claiming that your solicitor is dragging his heels. Or your financial adviser may try to convince you to do take action that is against your conveyancers guidance. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties when it comes to the legal transfer of property.
I have 70 years unexpired on my lease and require a lease extension for my apartment in Belvedere. Conveyancing solicitors on the Nationwide Building Society panel can deal with such extensions right?
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. Nationwide Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 5/11/2025 the requirements read as follows :
- There must be at least 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term (regardless of the length of lease at the start).
Where the unexpired lease term is different to that recorded on the mortgage offer, the following clarifies if we need to be informed:
Second hand property:
- If the unexpired lease term on the offer is 85 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 85 years
- if the unexpired lease term on the offer is less than 85 years – advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported
- For equity share applications - advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer
- Where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat and the unexpired lease term on the offer is 90 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 90 years.
New build property:
- If the unexpired lease term stated on the offer is 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house) or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house)
- For equity share applications - always advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer
Lease terms such as ground rent and event fees must be reasonable at all times during the term of the lease and adhere to our requirements below. If you’re unsure as to whether the terms of a lease are unreasonable or onerous, please refer the details to us in plain English for Valuer consideration. If the potentially onerous terms are in relation to the ground rent please include the current ground rent figure per annum, how often it will be reviewed and the price structure it will be reviewed against. See the guidance below.
SECOND HAND PROPERTIES
Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (Will be declined):
- Unexpired lease term less than 55 years
- Unexpired lease term less than 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat
- Less than 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term
- Ground Rent greater than 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent doubles less than every 20 years (e.g. doubles every 5, 10 or 15 years) - acceptable if doubles every 20 years or more
- Ground Rent is compounded RPI
- Ground Rent review period is less than or equal to 5 years
Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Unexpired lease term is 55 to 85 years
- Ground Rent greater than 0.1% and less than or equal to 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to any indices greater than RPI
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building*
- Ground Rent review period is greater than 5 and less than 10 years
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial, etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything that appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary
Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than 85 years (Minimum 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat)
- Ground Rent less than or equal to 0.1% of the property value
- Ground Rent review period greater than or equal to 10 years
- Ground Rent escalation less than or equal to RPI
NEW BUILD PROPERTIES (includes office conversions)
Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (Will be declined)
- Unexpired lease term less than 125 years on a new build flat or less than 250 years on a new build house (does not apply to Shared Ownership)
- Any lease which is subject to a Ground Rent (or Annual Rent) being charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis
- Any lease which is subject to a Ground Rent (or Annual Rent) being charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis
Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything else appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary
Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than or equal to 125 years on a new build flat or greater than or equal to 250 years on a new build house
- A lease subject to a peppercorn Ground Rent (Annual Rent) charges
For the avoidance of doubt, any New Build properties completed but not sold pre-30 June 2022 will only be acceptable if the Lease conforms to the above guidance.
* Where the Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building, please provide the following:
- How is the value of the block/unit currently calculated and if the assessment relates to the block(s), how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned per property?
- The current valuation and Ground Rent for each unit
- What is the mechanism for future valuations of the block and how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned?
- What is the right of appeal? And is this a documented process within the lease?
- Who bears the cost of the valuation (and appeal) process?
- Confirmation the review period is not less than twenty years.
Lease Extensions
We require all Lease Extensions to be completed under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 and to meet the above criteria as a minimum. Where you become aware that it does not meet these requirements, please refer to Issuing Office.
Please ensure that all lender enquiries are submitted (with full documentation/requirements) at least 2 weeks prior to exchange to allow sufficient time for review and decisioning.
What is your number one tip for finding a conveyancing solicitor in Belvedere
It would be unwise to be seduced by the cheapest Belvedere conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in advance.
Are all Belvedere Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the HSBC conveyancing list of approved firms?
It is true that some banks and building societies now make use of CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to remain on their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
How can we know in advance if a Belvedere conveyancing solicitor on the Coventry BS panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Belvedere obtaining recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advocate that you speak with the solicitor carrying out your transaction.
I decided to have a survey done on a property in Belvedere in advance of instructing lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor has said that some lenders may not give a mortgage on this type of property.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different requirements for example to Nationwide. Should you wish to telephone us we can check with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Belvedere. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Belvedere to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.
I am using a search engine for the term conveyancing in Belvedere it reveals numerous property lawyersin the vicinity. With so much choice what is the best way to find the suitable conveyancing solicitor for me?
The best method of choosing a suitable conveyancer is via trusted testimonial, so ask friends and those you trust who have purchased a property in Belvedere or a local estate agent or financial adviser. Fees for conveyancing in Belvedere vary, so it's advisable to request at least four costs illustrations from different law firms. Dont forget to clarify that the costs are assured not to rise.