I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Thornton Heath. My lender is Tesco Bank
Tesco Bank have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 11/3/2025, the requirements read as follows :
There are numerous conveyancing solicitors in Thornton Heath but how do I know who's good?
We would encourage you not to base your choice on the lowest Thornton Heath conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.
I am expecting a AIP from Yorkshire BS this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Yorkshire BS recommend any Thornton Heath solicitors on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?
You will need to appoint Thornton Heath solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Yorkshire BS through the process.
My offer was accepted on a property in Thornton Heath on 30/1/2025, valuation was booked five days later, all came back fine. Conveyancer instructed, so all that was missing 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 an offer 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.
I used Arc property Solicitors a few years ago for my conveyancing in Thornton Heath. I now require my file but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?
You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Thornton Heath of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I am looking for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Thornton Heath I like with open areas and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 49 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Thornton Heath in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?
Should you require a home loan that many years will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the anticipated 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 ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.
Are there any apps to assist me to search for a Thornton Heath solicitor on the Nationwide Building Society conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am willing to travel upto 10miles to meet the conveyancer.
Feel free to make use of the facility on this page. Please pick a bank and your location and you will see a number of Thornton Heath conveyancing lawyers located nearest you. We have detailed some Thornton Heath conveyancing firms at the bottom of this page and you can telephone them to check if they are on the Nationwide Building Society member panel
Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Fifty years left on my lease in Thornton Heath. I need to get lease extension but my landlord is can not be found. What are my options?
On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. In some cases an enquiry agent should be useful to try and locate and prepare a report which can be accepted by the court as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Thornton Heath.
I own a garden flat in Thornton Heath. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the premium payable for the purchase of the freehold?
Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Thornton Heath conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Thornton Heath property is Ground Floor Flat 14 Lodge Road in October 2013. the tribunal held that the price payable for the acquisition of the extended lease of the property should be £12,590 .00 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired term was 69.46 years.