We are a couple about to sign contracts for a leasehold flat in Deanshanger. We have hit a stumbling block. The mortgage offer with The Mortgage Works expires on 14/10/2025 but the vendors are insisting on a completion date of 16/10/2025. Can one extend the loan expiry date?

The best person to deal with your issue is your solicitors who will hopefully assess if they should be discussing with the mortgage broker, owner’s lawyers, estate agents or indeed all three given the history of your house move as of today.

A friend pointed out to me me that in purchasing a property in Deanshanger there may be various restrictions prohibiting external changes to a property. Is this right?

We are aware of a number of properties in Deanshanger which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Deanshanger should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in October 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, UBS are being pedantic. The Deanshanger solicitor who is on the UBS conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but UBS are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do UBS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that UBS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why UBS may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

After what feels like an age I have had an offer on a maisonette in Deanshanger accepted, but there is a chain. The sellers have placed an offer on a property, however it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other flats booked. I have selected a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Deanshanger. What do I do now? At what point should I apply for the mortgage with Aldermore?

It is understandable to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (home loan application is approx one thousand pounds, then survey, Deanshanger conveyancing search costs, etc). The first course of action is to check that your property lawyer is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. As to the subsequent phase this very much dictated by the specifics of your transaction, motivation for this property and on the state of the market. In a buoyant market some buyers would apply for the mortgage with Aldermore and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they ask their lawyer to press on with searches.

Should my conveyancer be raising enquiries concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Deanshanger.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors dealing with homes in Deanshanger. Plenty of people will purchase a property in Deanshanger, fully expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a various searches that may be undertaken by the buyer or by their conveyancers which should figure out the risks in Deanshanger. The standard completed inquiry forms supplied to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a standard question of the vendor to discover whether the property has historically flooded. If the premises has been flooded in past which is not notified by the owner, then a buyer may commence a legal claim for losses stemming from an inaccurate reply. A buyer’s conveyancers will also carry out an enviro search. This should higlight whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations will need to be conducted.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Deanshanger?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Deanshanger. 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…’

In what way can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my commercial property in Deanshanger and how can you help?

The 1954 Act provides a safeguard to business leaseholders, giving them the a statutory right to make a request to court for a renewal tenancy and continue in occupation when the lease reaches an end. There are limited grounds where a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are complicated. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Deanshanger is one of the numerous locations in which the firms we work with are based