My wife and I buying a terrace house in Oldland. We would like to carry out a loft conversion at the property.Will legal conveyancing on the property involve checks to ascertain if these alterations were previously refused?
Your property lawyer will check the deeds as conveyancing in Oldland can occasionally reveal restrictions in the title deeds which prohibit categories of works or necessitated the permission of a 3rd party. Some extensions need local authority planning permissions and approval in accordance building regulations. Many locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. It would be prudent to check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
How can we know in advance if a Oldland conveyancing solicitor on the Co-operative panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Oldland getting recommendations is a good starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always recommend that you speak with the solicitor conducting your transaction.
My offer was accepted on an apartment in Oldland on 9/9/2025, valuation was booked five days after, received a clean bill of health. Solicitor instructed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Virgin Money and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Are Virgin Money entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Virgin Money to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
It has been three months following my purchase conveyancing in Oldland took place. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £170,000. 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 property 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 conveyancing in Oldland differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Oldland contact us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is constructed. This is because new home sellers in Oldland tend to buy the land, 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 conveyancers 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 Oldland or who has acted in the same development.
I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and found one near me in Oldland I like with open areas and station nearby, however it's only got 49 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Oldland for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?
If you require a mortgage that many years will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may request that they start the process of the extension and then assign 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 matter.
I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing solicitor in Oldland for my home move. Is it possible to review a solicitor's complaints history with the legal regulator?
One may search for published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find details Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors record, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA sometimes recorded telephone calls for training purposes.
I am employed by a busy estate agency in Oldland where we see a number of flat sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have been given contradictory information from local Oldland conveyancing firms. Please can you shed some light as to whether the vendor of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?
As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser need not have to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.
Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.
Oldland Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing
-
The best form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this situation the tenants enjoy being in charge if their destiny and although a managing agent is often retained if it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders. Best to be warned if redecorating or some other major work is due in the near future to be shared between the tenants and will dramatically increase the the maintenance costs or necessitate a one time invoice. Does the lease include onerous restrictions?