LM Logo

Find a Lender-Approved Local Conveyancer in Lewes

Ready to buy a new home? Find a law firm approved by your lender.

FACT : Lewes Conveyancing Solicitors Know more about Conveyancing in Lewes

Lewes Conveyancing Statistics*

  • 1 Average Land Registry Fee for this year to date was £540
  • 2 Average Stamp Duty Payable for this year to date was £17,668
  • 3 75% freehold and 25% leasehold conveyancing in Lewes for this year to date
  • 4 99 is the median number of years remaining on leases in Lewes
  • 5 The most common indemnity insurance policies for Lewes conveyancing is Obstruction of Right of Way

Examples of recent conveyancing in Lewes since December 2024*

street view

Disposal

of flat Delves Close BN8 5EW, at purchase price of £225,000. Leasehold conveyancing included: sending conveyancing papers to buyers representatives, dealing with appropriate requisitions and enquiries, setting up the completion formalities

street view

Transfer

of terraced premises, Dunvan Close, BN7 2EY completing on 16/01/2025 at a price of £340,000. The conveyancing process included amongst the various tasks: drafting the sale agreement and Transfer, sending the transfer to the vendor for execution in readiness for completion, taking formal instructions from and updating the seller client

street view

Acquisition

of apartment Station Street BN7 2DA, purchased for £132,000. Leasehold conveyancing work included: sending conveyancing papers to buyers representatives, sending the transfer to the seller for signature in readiness for completion, agreeing completion date with parties

street view

Disposal

of semi premises, De Montfort Road, BN7 1SP completing on 13/01/2025 at a price of £730,000. The conveyancing process included amongst the various tasks: dealing with appropriate requisitions and enquiries, sending the transfer to the seller for signature in preparation for completion, sending title deeds and executed transfer to purchaser’s conveyancer

Recently asked questions about conveyancing in Lewes

I purchased a freehold house in Lewes yet charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Lewes and has limited impact for conveyancing in Lewes but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

Old rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 will be dispensed with completely.

We intend to purchase a newbuild apartment in Lewes with a loan from TSB.We would like to retain our Lewes conveyancing lawyer but TSB advised that her practice is not listed on their approved list of firms. we are left little option but to use a TSB panel solicitor or keep our preferred solicitor and fork out for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; Can we not simply insist that TSB use our lawyer?

Unfortunately,no. The loan offered to you contains various provisions, a common one being that solicitors must be on the TSB conveyancing panel. in the past, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for TSB

is it true that all Lewes solicitor practices on the HSBC conveyancing panel are overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As solicitors, in order to be on the HSBC conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. The majority of lenders do list licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such organisation would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I'm in the throws of viewing houses in Lewes and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it best to have a property lawyer on ‘stand by’? I intend to finance via a home loan with Bank of Ireland.

You should start requesting conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the EA. Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Kent Reliance. I assume I don't need a Lewes conveyancing practitioner on the Kent Reliance panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Kent Reliance mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Kent Reliance mortgage from the register. Kent Reliance, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

  1. but are not moving to another property
  2. where Kent Reliance has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
  3. Kent Reliance has instructed the Land Registry to do so
The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Kent Reliance mortgage has been paid off.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Lewes with the aid of help to buy. The builders would not move on the price so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The property agent advised me not to tell my conveyancer about the extras as it may put at risk my loan with the bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I was advised by numerous selling agents in Lewes to locate a property lawyer on your site. Is there a financial upside for Estate Agents to promote your site over another?

We refuse to offer any referral fee for sending work our way. We thought it would be too underhand a fee as a client could think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Lewes what are the most common lease defects?

Leasehold conveyancing in Lewes is not unique. Most leases are individual and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain sections are missing. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

    Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts. Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

A defective lease can cause issues when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Birmingham Midshires, Bank of Scotland, and Nottingham Building Society all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is defective they may refuse to provide security, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.

Lewes Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

    What prohibitions exist in the Lewes Lease? In the main the cost for major works are not included within maintenance charges, albeit that there some managing agents in Lewes obliged tenants to pay into a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger repairs or maintenance. Can you tell me if there are any major works in the planning that will likely increase the maintenance costs?

Last updated

Residential Landlord and Tenant Conveyancing solicitors in Lewes

The list below is a non-comprehensive list of solicitors in Lewes with expertise in landlord and tenant law and on the regulations governing different types of tenancies. This could include advice on Terms and conditions of tenancy agreements

  • Juliet Bellis & Co, Isfield Place, Isfield, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 5XR
  • Adams & Remers Llp, Trinity House, School Hill, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2NN
  • Astburys, Lewes House, 32 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2LU
  • Rix & Kay Solicitors Llp, The Courtyard, River Way, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 1SL
  • Dawson Hart Solicitors Limited, The Old Grammar School, Church Street, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 1BH

Commercial Conveyancing solicitors in Lewes regulated by the SRA

The firms listed below are a non-comprehensive list of solicitors in Lewes practicing in commercial conveyancing in Lewes. This may include advice on buying and selling small and large scale commercial property and agricultural land
  • Juliet Bellis & Co, Isfield Place, Isfield, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 5XR
  • Adams & Remers Llp, Trinity House, School Hill, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2NN
  • Lewes Smith, Albion House, Albion Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2NF
  • Astburys, Lewes House, 32 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2LU
  • Chrismas Ogden Solicitors Limited, Howard Cottage, Broomans Lane, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2LT

What to expect from a Licensed Conveyancer for conveyancing in Lewes?

Licensed Conveyancers assist with the transfer of ownership of a property from one person to another and cover conveyancing throughout England and Wales as well as Lewes. If instructing a Licensed Conveyancer regulated by the CLC, you should:
  • Be supplied with an honest and lawful service.
  • Be supplied with a high standard of legal services.
  • Have your conveyancing dealt with using care, skill and diligence.
  • Be supplied with a high quality of service due to your lawyer’s arrangements, resources, procedures, skills and commitment.
  • Have a service which is accessible and responsive to your specific requirements.
  • Not feel discriminated against, victimised or harassed.
  • To receive the standard you could expect, however, if you do your lawyer accepts responsibility for this and provides you with any appropriate redress.
  • Ensure your individual needs taken into account should a complaint be made.
  • Receive a swift, objective and comprehensive service when if a complaint is registered about your conveyancing in Lewes.

*Source acknowledgement: House price data produced by Land Registry as well data supplied by Lexsure Ltd.

© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of Land Registry under delegated authority from the Controller of HMSO.