We are a couple about to sign contracts for a leasehold flat in Windermere. We have hit a stumbling block. Our mortgage offer with Barclays Direct runs out on 3/7/2025 but the sellers are putting forward a completion date of 7/7/2025. Is it possible to extend the mortgage expiry date?
The person best placed to deal with your issue is your solicitors who is in a position to calculate if they better off negotiating with the lender, seller’s solicitors, selling agents or indeed all three taking into account the circumstances your conveyancing as of today.
I am buying a property in Windermere. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Yorkshire BS be concerned?
As you are obtaining a mortgage with Yorkshire BS your lawyer must comply with the formal requirements outlined in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Yorkshire BS. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Yorkshire BS where a lease does not satisfy these requirements. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not limited to Windermere.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Windermere. I have a mortgage agreed with Virgin Money. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Virgin Money, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.
My offer was accepted on a property in Windermere on 17/3/2025, valuation was booked five days later, received a clean bill of health. Solicitor appointed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to UBS and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the UBS conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
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 UBS to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the UBS conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
A friend recommended that where I am purchasing in Windermere I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
This is a search is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Windermere conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Windermere around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Windermere Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Windermere Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Windermere.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Windermere?
Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Windermere. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
I opted to have a survey carried out on a house in Windermere prior to retaining solicitors. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the house. The surveyor advised that some banks will not grant a mortgage on this type of house.
It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can check via the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Windermere. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
Hoping to buy a property located in Windermere and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Windermere. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Windermere area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?
Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Windermere. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found