Can conveyancing in Westbury Park to be completed inside 10 days?
First, If you are under pressure for your conveyancing it is advisable to make sure that your lawyer is familiar with the area as they will benefit local connections and know-how. It is possible that they would have handled previoushomes in the same neighbourhood. Therefore consider using a Westbury Park conveyancing solicitor. Second, ensure that the conveyancing firm is on the on the approved list for your mortgage company. It is estimated that just under twenty per cent of Westbury Park conveyancing deals are delayed or jeopardised after discovering a purchaser’s solicitor was not on their banks member panel. This can often result in the buying process being held up by an average of three weeks. It is understood that this issue affects in the region of 100,000 home moves every year. Many Westbury Park conveyancing practices can not represent certain mortgage companies so do check at the outset.
I am about to put an offer on a leasehold flat in Westbury Park. The selling agents assure me that it is the norm for flats in Westbury Park to have less than 75 years left on the lease. I am expecting a loan with The Mortgage Works. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has 70 years left.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are obtaining a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. The Mortgage Works have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 14/4/2026 the requirements read as follows :
Where the unexpired lease term is different to that recorded on the mortgage offer, the following clarifies if we need to be informed:
Second hand property:
- If the unexpired lease term on the offer is 85 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 85 years
- if the unexpired lease term on the offer is less than 85 years – advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported
- For equity share applications - advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer
New build property:
- If the unexpired lease term stated on the offer is 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house) or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house)
- For equity share applications - always advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer
Lease terms such as ground rent and event fees must be reasonable at all times during the term of the lease and adhere to our requirements below. If you’re unsure as to whether the terms of a lease are unreasonable or onerous, please refer the details to us in plain English for Valuer consideration. If the potentially onerous terms are in relation to the ground rent please include the current ground rent figure per annum, how often it will be reviewed and the price structure it will be reviewed against. See the guidance below.
SECOND HAND PROPERTIES
Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (Will be declined):
- Unexpired lease term less than 70 years
- Less than 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term
- Ground Rent greater than 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent doubles less than every 20 years (e.g. doubles every 5, 10 or 15 years) - acceptable if doubles every 20 years or more
- Ground Rent is compounded RPI
- Ground Rent review period less than or equal to 5 years
Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Unexpired lease term is 70 to 85 years
- Ground Rent greater than 0.1% and less than or equal to 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to any indices greater than RPI
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building*
- Ground Rent review period is greater than 5 and less than 10 years
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1.0% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything that appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary
Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than 85 years
- Ground Rent less than or equal to 0.1% of the property value
- Ground Rent review period greater than or equal to 10 years
- Ground Rent escalation less than or equal to RPI
NEW BUILD PROPERTIES (includes office conversions)
Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (will be declined):
- Unexpired lease term less than 125 years on a new build flat or less than 250 years on a new build house
- Any lease which is subject to a ground rent (or annual rent) being charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis
- Any lease which is subject to a ground rent (or annual rent) being reviewed and altered on any review basis or methodology
Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1.0% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything else appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary
Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than or equal to 125 years on a new build flat or greater than or equal to 250 years on a new build house
- A lease subject to a peppercorn ground rent (annual rent) charges
For the avoidance of doubt, any new build properties completed but not sold pre 30 June 2022 will only be acceptable if the lease conforms to the above guidance
* Where the Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building, please provide the following:
- How is the value of the block/unit currently calculated and if the assessment relates to the block(s), how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned per property?
- The current valuation and Ground Rent for each unit
- What is the mechanism for future valuations of the block and how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned?
- What is the right of appeal? And is this a documented process within the lease?
- Who bears the cost of the valuation (and appeal) process?
- Confirmation the review period is not less than twenty years
LEASE EXTENSIONS
We require all lease extensions to be completed under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 and to meet the above criteria as a minimum. Where you become aware that it does not meet these requirements, please refer to the Issuing Office
Please ensure that all lender enquiries are submitted (with full documentation/requirements) at least 2 weeks prior to exchange to allow sufficient time for review and decisioning.
My wife and I are purchasing a flat in Westbury Park. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a conveyancer? At some point we have to put funds into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our money?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
When it comes to lenders such as Coventry BS, do Westbury Park solicitors have to pay a fee to be on the conveyancing panel?
We are not aware of any bank fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
It is not clear whether my lender requires a lease extension. I have telephoned my Westbury Park bank branch on various occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they will lend. My Westbury Park conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- called to say that they refuse to lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I simply don't know who is right.
Provided that the property lawyer is on the bank panel, they must comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook provisions for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
The deeds to our property are lost. The solicitors who handled the conveyancing in Westbury Park 5 years ago are no longer around. Will I be able to sell the house?
You no longer need to hold title official documentation to evidence that you are the owner of your registered land or property, given that the Land Registry have everything they need in a digital format.
I am looking to sell my house. My former solicitors closed down. It would be helpful to have a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. I happen to live in Westbury Park if that makes things easier.
Do use our search tool to help you find a solicitor for your conveyancing in Westbury Park. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with lender approved solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move runs smoothly.
I am 3 weeks into a leasehold purchase having been recommend to conveyancers by the local agent to do our conveyancing in Westbury Park. I am am starting to be frustrated with the level of service. Can you you assist me in finding new conveyancers?
A solicitor would need to be very poor to suggest diss instructing them. Has the mortgage been generated? In the event that it has you need to inform them of the new contact details and get the loan are issued to the new lawyers. The solicitor ideally needs to be on the banks approved list to avoid supplemental costs and delays. That should be your starting point. Our find a solicitor tool should help you find a lender approved lawyer for your conveyancing in Westbury Park