We are buying a 2 bedroom flat in Salford with a mortgage. We have a Salford lawyer, but the lender advise he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the lender panel conveyancing practices or retain our Salford lawyer and pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. We regard this is unjust; are we not able to insist that the bank use our Salford conveyancing practitioner ?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, 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 Salford conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
We're in Salford, First timers buying with a mortgage (lender is UBS , and our solicitor is on the UBS conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the UBS conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no solicitor should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.
My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Salford. Conveyancing is required. What are my next steps?
Now that you have for in every practical sense signed on the dotted line you must find a conveyancing practitioner as a matter of priority as you are facing a tight a drop dead date to complete the transaction. An auction property will have an associated legal pack. This should include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. Where you are dealing with leasehold premises the conveyancing pack should provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing documentation pertinent to leasehold premises. You need to give this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor as soon as possible. Do make sure that your finances are in order to complete on the date specified in the contract.
I had an offer accepted on a house in Salford on 22/12/2025, valuation was booked 4 days later, all came back fine. Property lawyer instructed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to RBS and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the RBS conveyancing panel. Are RBS entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for RBS to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the RBS conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
After what seems like an age I have had an offer on a maisonette in Salford accepted, the owners do however have a connected purchase. The vendors have put an offer on a property, but it’s not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other flats in the pipeline. I have instructed a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Salford. What do I do now? When do I get the mortgage application with Coventry BS started?
It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs too early (mortgage application is approx £1k, then valuation, Salford conveyancing search fees, etc). The first thing to do is ensure that your property lawyer is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. Regarding the next steps this very much dictated by the specifics of your transaction, attraction to this property and on the state of the market. In a rising market many home buyers will apply for the mortgage with Coventry BS and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they ask their conveyancing practitioner to proceed with the conveyancing in Salford.
Just had an offer accepted on a new build flat in Salford. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.
Here are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Salford
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Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared.
I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of flats in Salford both have in the region of 50 years remaining on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?
There are plenty of short leases in Salford. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a period of time. As a lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease decreases and it becomes more expensive to extend the lease. For this reason it is advisable to increase the term of the lease. It is often difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We recommend you get professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area.
I purchased a 1 bedroom flat in Salford, conveyancing was carried out in 1995. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Salford with a long lease are worth £216,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 2095
With just 69 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as costs.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.
I've found a house that appears to be perfect, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Salford. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?
Most houses in Salford are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Salford in which case you should be looking for a Salford conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer will advise you fully on all the issues.