When will exchange of contracts take place for domestic conveyancing in Knowle and am I required to attend the lawyers office?
Where you are local to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Knowle you are welcome to come in to sign contracts. However, the firms we work with supply countrywide coverage for conveyancing and give just as detailed and professional a job for you when dealing with you electronically. The executing of the sale agreement is not when everything is set in stone. Signing on the dotted line simply enables the solicitor to address the formalities at the suitable time, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The procedure is is usually a five minute process, although where a lengthy "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Knowle)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.
I have 7378 less than 75 years left on my lease and need a lease extension for my flat in Knowle. Conveyancing solicitors on the Tesco Bank panel can deal with such extensions right?
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. Tesco Bank have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 24/12/2025 the requirements read as follows :
My partner and I are selling our house in Knowle and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. A local lawyer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers are using a nationwide conveyancing firm rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Knowle. Having lived in Knowle for three years we know of no issue. Should we contact our local Authority to obtain clarification need.
It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. What do they say? You must enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same illness)
How does conveyancing in Knowle differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Knowle approach us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is built. This is because developers in Knowle typically buy the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Knowle or who has acted in the same development.
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and found one near me in Knowle I like with amenity areas and station in the vicinity, however it's only got 51 years on the lease. There is not much else in Knowle in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?
If you need a mortgage that many years may be an issue. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.
Harry (my fiance) and I may need to let out our Knowle basement flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We used a Knowle conveyancing firm in 2001 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to seek any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?
A lease dictates relations between the landlord and you the flat owner; in particular, it will indicate if subletting is not allowed, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. Most leases in Knowle do not contain an absolute prevention of subletting – such a provision would undoubtedly devalue the flat. In most cases there is simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a duplicate of the sublease.
Leasehold Conveyancing in Knowle - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to buying
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Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge liability? How many years remain on the lease? Many Knowle leasehold properties will be liable to pay a service charge for maintenance of the block invoiced by the freeholder. Where you acquire the apartment you will have to meet this amount, normally in instalments accross the year. This could differ from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built buildings. In all probability there will be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, this is usually not a exorbitant sum, say approximately £50-£100 but you should to check it because sometimes it could be prohibitively expensive.