Much to our surprise we have been informed by our financial adviser that my Chatham solicitor is not on the lender Solicitor panel. How can I be certain that this is indeed the case?
Your first step should be to contact your Chatham conveyancer. You lawyer should notify you what has happened. Where they are not on the panel they may be able to suggest a Chatham conveyancing firm that is on the conveyancing panel for your lender.
I am hoping to move into my new home in Chatham next Monday. My property lawyer now wants me to supply her with proof of content and building insurance for the property as as she informs me that she is duty bound to validate that it is in order for the lender. What does the insurance need to cover?
Any lawyer on acting for mortgage companies would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s Part 2 conditions. These requirements are not limited to conveyancing in Chatham.
Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Chatham. My lender is Bank of Ireland
Bank of Ireland have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 8/6/2025, the requirements read as follows :
Just acquired a semi-detached house in Chatham , how long should it take for the Land Registry to deal with the formalities evidencing my ownership? My Chatham conveyancing solicitor works at snail pace, so I want to be sure that my ownership is registered.
As far as conveyancing in Chatham registration is no faster or slower than the rest of England and Wales. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can differ subject to who lodges the application, whether there are errors and if the Land registry need to notify any other parties. At present roughly 80% of submission are completed within 12 days but some can be subject to extensive hold-ups. Registration takes place once the new owner has moved in to the property so an expedited registration is not usually an essential issue yet if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your conveyancer could communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for an expedited registration.
Should I be concerned that estate agents that I am dealing with are recommending a national conveyancing firm rather than a local Chatham conveyancing company?
As is the case with lots of service providers, often recommendations from relatives can be extremely useful or valuable. Yet there are many parties with a keen interest in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, financial adviser and lenders may suggest conveyancers to use. Sometimes the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but sometimes there is an underlying commercial relationship behind the endorsement. You have the discretion to select your preferred lawyer. However, bear in mind that some lenders have an approved list of lawyers you are obliged to use for the mortgage aspect of your transaction.
I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two apartments in Chatham which have in the region of 50 years left on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?
There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Chatham is a deteriorating asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the marketability of the property. The majority of buyers and lenders, leases with under 75 years become less and less attractive. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Chatham conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.
Chatham Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should ask before buying
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For most Chatham leaseholds the outlay for major works are not included within service charges, albeit that some managing agents in Chatham ask tenants to contribute towards a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger works. The prefered form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this scenario the tenants enjoy control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is often retained where it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders. Does the lease contain onerous restrictions?