My partner and I are hoping to purchase a house in Hellesdon and have instructed a Hellesdon conveyancing practice. Within the last couple of days our conveyancer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Godiva Mortgages Ltd have this afternoon contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Hellesdon solicitor is not on their conveyancing panel. Is this a problem?
When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is conventional for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Hellesdon lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.
I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Hellesdon. My lender is Platform
Platform have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 1/5/2025, the requirements read as follows :
The deeds to my house can not be found. The conveyancers who handled the conveyancing in Hellesdon 4 years ago are no longer around. What do I do?
As long as the title is registered the information relating to your proprietorship will be evidenced by the Land Registry with a Title Number. It is possible to perform a search at the Land Registry, identify your property and secure current copies of the property title for less than a fiver. Where the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will also normally hold a file copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be ordered for £20 inclusive of VAT.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and identified one close by in Hellesdon I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, however it's only got 49 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Hellesdon suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?
Should you need a mortgage that many years will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this.
What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Hellesdon conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?
If you are instructing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Hellesdon conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you make enquires with several firms including non Hellesdon conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions could be useful:
-
Can they put you in touch with clients in Hellesdon who can give a testimonial? If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?
Hellesdon Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should ask Prior to buying
-
In the main the outlay for major works tend not to be built into the service charges, although some managing agents in Hellesdon ask leasehold owners to pay into a sinking fund and this is used to offset against larger works. What prohibitions exist in the Hellesdon Lease?
Is there an average conveyancing fee for conveyancing in Hellesdon?
The average fee last year for conveyancing in Hellesdon was £1,419 excluding Land Tax and HMLR charges.