We were just about to sign contracts for a property in Chatham. We encountered a stumbling block. Our loan offer with Chelsea Building Society expires on 6/10/2025 but the owners are insisting on a completion date of 8/10/2025. Is it possible to extend the mortgage expiry date?

The best person to address this concern is your lawyer who is in a position to assess if he or she is should be discussing with the lender, seller’s conveyancers, property agents or conceivably all parties taking into account what has gone on in your transaction to date.

When will exchange of contracts take place for purchase conveyancing in Chatham and am I required to be at the conveyancers branch?

Where you are local to our conveyancing solicitors in Chatham you are welcome to attend to sign documents. However, the lender approved solicitors we recommend offer countrywide coverage for conveyancing and give just as comprehensive and professional a job for you when communicating with you electronically. The signing of the contract is not when everything is set in stone. Signing on the dotted line is necessary for the firm to exchange contracts when the time is right, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The exchange process is is usually a five minute process, although where an extended "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Chatham)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.

2 months have elapsed following my purchase conveyancing in Chatham took place. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £180,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the property from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I am buying a new build house in Chatham with a mortgage from Britannia. The sellers would not reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The property agent advised me not reveal to my conveyancer about this extras as it may jeopardize my mortgage with Britannia. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I only have 72 years left on my lease in Chatham. I now want to get lease extension but my landlord is absent. 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 extended by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have used your best endeavours to find the landlord. In some cases a specialist may be useful to try and locate and prepare an expert document which can be used as proof that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Chatham.

Chatham Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

Can you inform me if there are any major works on the horizon that will likely add a premium to the maintenance costs? The answer will be useful as a) areas can cause problems in the building as the common areas may start to deteriorate if repairs remain unpaid b) if the tenants have an issue with the running of the building you will want to have complete disclosure The prefered form of lease arrangement is if the freehold title is owned by the leaseholders. In this scenario the leaseholders have control and even though a managing agent is often retained where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants.