Souldappointing a Clare conveyancing firm make the ownership transfer smoother?
Existing third party relationships are another important factor to consider when appointing conveyancing solicitors. Clare conveyancers often have long term relationships with financial advisers and Clare, local authorities, valuers and other conveyancing firms meaning you will move in shortest possible time. Hosting a sound experience in the local area also helps too.
I have 71 years left on my lease and require a lease extension for my apartment in Clare. Conveyancing solicitors on the Nationwide Building Society panel can deal with such extensions correct?
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are obtaining 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 23/12/2025 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.
I am due to move home in February. Does my conveyancing solicitor update the removal company on the day of completion. On a separate note, can you recommend a removal company in Clare. Conveyancing lawyer was found before I stumbled across this site.
On the day of completion you will need to collect the house keys from the estate agent but this should only be done when the previous owners conveyancers confirm to the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be given over. Subsequently you can inform the removal men that you are ready to move in. We are not in a position to recommend a specific removal organisation but can help you find a residential property solicitor in Clare or a solicitor with expertise in conveyancing in Clare.
I have a mortgage with Yorkshire BS for my property in Clare. Conveyancing was finalised a year ago. In the event that I decide to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Yorkshire BS?
Your original mortgage agreement with Yorkshire BS will provide that you need their approval before renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Yorkshire BS’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Yorkshire BS will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Yorkshire BS directly. You need not do this via a Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel firm.
After what seems like an age I have had an offer on a maisonette in Clare agreed to, but there is a chain. The vendors have offered on on an apartment, however it’s not yet tied up, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. I have chosen a local conveyancing solicitor in Clare. What do I do now? At what point do I apply for the mortgage with UBS?
It is normal to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs prematurely (mortgage application is approx one thousand pounds, then survey, Clare conveyancing search costs, etc). The first thing to do is ensure that your lawyer is on the UBS conveyancing panel. Regarding the next phase this very much depends on the uniqueness of your case, attraction to the property and on the state of the market. In a buoyant market many purchasers will apply for the mortgage with UBS and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their conveyancer to move forward with the conveyancing in Clare.
It has been 2 months since my purchase conveyancing in Clare concluded. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £180,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the premises from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
How does the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my commercial offices in Clare and how can your lawyers assist?
The 1954 Act provides protection to commercial tenants, granting the right to make a request to court for a continuation of occupancy when the lease reaches an end. There are certain specified grounds that a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are complicated. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing firms who use the act to your advantage and help with commercial conveyancing in Clare
In my capacity as executor for the will of my grandmother I am disposing of a property in Cardiff but live in Clare. My lawyer (who is 235 miles from mehas requested that I execute a statutory declaration prior to the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Clare who can attest this legal document for me?
strictly speaking you are not likely to need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are located in Clare