Why do I have to pay up front when it comes to conveyancing in Shrewsbury?
Where you are retaining lawyers for conveyancing in Shrewsbury your solicitor will ask you place them with monies to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. This will be the total of the cost of the Local Authority Search. When the deposit is payable against the purchase price then this should be asked for immediately prior to contracts are exchanged. Any further balance that is due will be payable a few days prior to the completion date.
I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Shrewsbury. My lender is The Mortgage Works
The Mortgage Works have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 18/12/2025, the requirements read as follows :
Me and my brother own a terraced Georgian house in Shrewsbury. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Nationwide Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??
You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Shrewsbury and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also question the position with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the conveyancing.
I am looking for a flat up to £195,000 and found one near me in Shrewsbury I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 51 years on the lease. There is not much else in Shrewsbury suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?
If you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you can ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.
Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Shrewsbury with the intention of expediting the sale process?
- Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Shrewsbury can be avoided if you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ lawyers. If you have had conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a property where there is a current dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to unsettled. The majority of landlords or Management Companies in Shrewsbury levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold home. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management information can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Shrewsbury. A minority of Shrewsbury leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers. You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this by asking your conveyancers. A buyer’s conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is under 80 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.
Shrewsbury Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to buying
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What is the the remaining lease term? How much is the service charge and ground rent on the apartment? Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge liability?
I'm purchasing a flat in Shrewsbury. I have found my conveyancer's company on the Law Society's list, but I can't find my conveyancer's name on the list. Should I be concerned?
Not all staff in the company must be listed by the regulator. As long there is a manager qualified to 'oversee' the work, the actual day-to-day activity can be undertaken by unlicensed staff.