We were just about to exchange contracts for a semi detached house in Lewes. We have hit a stumbling block. The loan offer with Nottingham Building Society runs out on 4/11/2025 but the vendors are putting forward a completion date of 6/11/2025. Can one prolong the mortgage expiry date?
The best person to address this issue is your conveyancer who will hopefully determine whether they better off negotiating with the lender, vendor’s solicitors, estate agents or conceivably all three given the circumstances your house move as of today.
Should my conveyancer be making enquiries regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Lewes.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers dealing with homes in Lewes. There are those who purchase a house in Lewes, fully aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical damage, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the buyer.
Lawyers are not qualified to give advice on flood risk, however there are a number of checks that may be carried out by the buyer or by their lawyers which should give them a better appreciation of the risks in Lewes. The standard information supplied to a buyer’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a usual question of the vendor to determine if the property has suffered from flooding. In the event that the residence has been flooded in past and is not revealed by the vendor, then a purchaser may bring a claim for damages stemming from an misleading response. A purchaser’s lawyers may also commission an enviro search. This will higlight if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries will need to be initiated.
Just acquired a terraced house in Lewes , how long will it take for the Land Registry to record my ownership? My Lewes conveyancing solicitor works at snail pace, so I want to be sure that my ownership is registered.
There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in Lewes registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can differ subject to who lodges the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry have to notify any third persons or bodies. As of today roughly 80% of such applications are fully addressed in less than three weeks but some can be subject to protracted hold-ups. Registration is effected once the purchaser is living at the premises so post completion formalities is not always top priority but where there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your lawyers must contact the land registry and explain the circumstances.
I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and identified one close by in Lewes I like with a park and railway links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 51 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Lewes suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?
If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.
I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Lewes for my purchase. Can I review a solicitor's record with the profession’s regulator?
You may find published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors history, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For non-uk callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA could recorded call for training purposes.
Completion is due on the sale of our £375,000 maisonette in Lewes in six days. The management company has quoted £348 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Lewes?
Lewes conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally necessitates the purchaser’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address these enquiries the majority will be content to assist. They are entitled to levy a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The management information fee required by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the invoice is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that you have little option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to complete the sale of your home.
I purchased a ground floor flat in Lewes, conveyancing formalities finalised December 2001. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Lewes with a long lease are worth £190,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease expires on 21st October 2086
With only 61 years left to run the likely cost is going to range between £19,000 and £22,000 plus professional fees.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.