I am getting a mortgage offer from Lloyds. My intention is to retain the legal services of a Licensed Conveyancer in Dalston. Does the Lloyds Conveyancing panel allow for conveyancers regulated by the CLC?

The Lloyds conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, represented by the Council or Mortgage Lenders or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.

We were just about to exchange contracts for a leasehold flat in Dalston. We have hit a stumbling block. The mortgage offer with Aldermore expires on 13/10/2025 but the vendors are putting forward a completion date of 15/10/2025. Can one extend the mortgage offer?

The person best placed to address this issue is your lawyer who will hopefully calculate if they corresponding with the lender, vendor’s conveyancers, selling agents or possibly all three taking into account the history of your transaction to date.

Why do I have to pay up front for my conveyancing in Dalston?

Where you are retaining lawyers for conveyancing in Dalston your lawyer will ask you put them with monies to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. Ordinarily this is needed to cover the fees of the conveyancing searches. When the deposit is payable against the total price then this will be asked for immediately prior to exchange of contracts. Any further balance that is due should be transferred a couple of days prior to the day of completion.

How does conveyancing in Dalston differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Dalston come to us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is completed. This is because builders in Dalston tend to purchase the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Dalston or who has acted in the same development.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Dalston with the intention of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Dalston can be avoided where you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where a dispute is unresolved. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over rather than unresolved. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Dalston leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord approving such alterations. Should you fail to have the approvals to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor in the first instance. A minority of Dalston leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors.

I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord to extend my lease without getting anywhere. Can one make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Dalston conveyancing firm to assist?

if there is a absentee landlord or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant legislation it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to make a decision on the price.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Dalston premises is 150 Amhurst Road in December 2013. The tribunal concluded that the premium to be paid by the applicant for the enfranchisement of the subject property was £43,500. This case was in relation to 4 flats. The unexpired term was 90 (or thereabouts).