Completed the sale of my flat in Canford Cliffs last July but the buyer keeps whats apping me to say her solicitor is waiting to hear from mine. What are the post completion sale legalities now that I have sold?

Following your house sale your conveyancer should deliver the transfer deeds and all of the paperwork to the buyer’s solicitors. If applicable, your conveyancer should also send confirmation that the mortgage has been redeemed to the buyers solicitors. There is unlikely to be post completion procedures specific conveyancing in Canford Cliffs.

We just had an offer accepted to purchase with Darlington Building Society. I called into a few high street firms yet cant to find a Canford Cliffs conveyancing firm on the Darlington Building Society approved list. Could you help?

Feel free to take advantage of the search tool on this page. Pick the lender and type Canford Cliffs or your location and you will discover a number of lawyer offices in Canford Cliffs or nearest you.

I happen to be the only recipient of my late grandmother’s estate and I have everything in my name alone, including the my former home in Canford Cliffs. The Canford Cliffs property was put into my name in January. I now wish to sell up. I do know about the Mortgage Lenders 6 month 'rule', meaning my proprietorship will be treated the same way as though I had purchased the property in January. Will no one buy the property for half a year?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook obliges conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you might be affected by that. Some mortgage companies would take a sensible view as this provision is principally there to capture subsales or the flipping of properties.

Are all Canford Cliffs Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Co-operative conveyancing panel?

Some major banks and building societies now utilise the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their panels.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Canford Cliffs. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. TSB have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with TSB your lawyer must comply with the formal instructions contained in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for TSB. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to TSB where a lease fails to meet these specifications. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not limited to Canford Cliffs.

I opted to have a survey carried out on a property in Canford Cliffs before appointing lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. Our surveyor has said that some banks will not issue a mortgage on this type of house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. If you call us we can check with the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Canford Cliffs. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Canford Cliffs especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Canford Cliffs.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two apartments in Canford Cliffs which have in the region of forty five years unexpired on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold flat in Canford Cliffs is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the value of the premises. The majority of purchasers and mortgage companies, leases with under 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Canford Cliffs conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Canford Cliffs - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

It is important to be aware whether a new roof is being put on or some other significant cost is due shortly that will be shared by the tenants and may well materially increase the the service fees or necessitate a specific payment. How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their maintenance charge payments? Its a good idea to discover as much as possible regarding the managing agents as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are often at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to practical matters like the upkeep of the communal areas. Enquire of other people what they think of them. On a final note, be sure you discover the dates that the maintenance fees are due to the appropriate party and precisely how they are spending the funds.