I am getting a mortgage offer from Nat West. I hope to use a Licensed Conveyancer in Didcot. Does the Nat West Solicitor panel include conveyancers regulated by the CLC?

The Nat West conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, represented by the CML or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.

Our conveyancer has discovered a a problem with the lease for the property we are purchasing in Didcot. The seller’s lawyers have put forward title insurance as a solution. We are content with insurance and will pay for it. Our solicitor has advised that he must check that the bank is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the mortgage company ?

Regardless of the fact that you have a mortgage offer from the mortgage company does not mean to say that the property will meet their specifications for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. You and the bank are the client. The appropriate lender conditions must be adhered to.

Can your site be used to locate a Conveyancing solicitor in Didcot even if I’m not purchasing or selling a house, for example where I intend to buy an office in Didcot with a loan from Norwich and Peterborough Building Society?

Our comparison service is predominantly used to get a quote from domestic conveyancing solicitors in Didcot but we have set out at the end of this page some Didcot commercial conveyancing firms. You should speak with the solicitors directly to see if they can also act for Norwich and Peterborough Building Society

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one close by in Didcot I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Didcot for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will be an issue. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you could ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Didcot from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Didcot can be reduced where you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers’ lawyers.
In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Didcot state that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such works. If you dont have the consents to hand do not communicate with the landlord without checking with your conveyancer before hand. You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this by asking your conveyancers. A buyer’s lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the remaining number of years is below 75 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale. If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where a dispute is unresolved. You may have to bite the bullet and 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 will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing. If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should make sure that you are holding the original share certificate. Arranging a duplicate share certificate is often a lengthy formality and slows down many a Didcot home move. If a duplicate share certificate is necessary, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Didcot - Sample of Queries Prior to buying

Generally speaking the outlay for major works tend not to be wrapped into the maintenance charges, albeit that a few managing agents in Didcot obliged leasehold owners to contribute towards a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger repairs or maintenance. Is there a share of the freehold? The majority of Didcot leasehold flats will incur a service charge for the upkeep of the building set by the management company. Should you acquire the apartment you will have to pay this liability, normally in instalments during the year. This can differ from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common grounds. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a large amount, say around £25-£75 but you need to check as sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds.