We are about to exchange contracts for a freehold house in Ellesmere Port. We have hit a problem. The loan offer with Clydesdale expires on 23/3/2026 but the owners are insisting on a completion date of 25/3/2026. Can one extend the mortgage offer?

The best person to deal with your concern is your conveyancer who will hopefully calculate whether he or she is better off negotiating with the lender, vendor’s solicitors, property agents or conceivably all parties given the history of your conveyancing to date.

I am purchasing a new build flat in Ellesmere Port. Can I do my own conveyancing?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Ellesmere Port you will have to appoint a solicitor on your bank's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Ellesmere Port.

I had a mortgage agreed in principle with HSBC. Ellesmere Port conveyancing lawyers are selected. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from HSBC?

There is no definitive answer here. Have HSBC conducted the valuation? Have you advised HSBC as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the HSBC conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

We were going to get a DIP from UBS this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do UBS recommend any Ellesmere Port solicitors on the UBS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Ellesmere Port solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the UBS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and UBS through the process.

My partner and I are spending time looking at houses in Ellesmere Port and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it too early to have a solicitor in place? I intend to finance via a mortgage with Bank of Ireland.

It would be prudent to instigate your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the estate agent. As you are taking out a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on last month in what should have been a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Ellesmere Port is where the house is located. Can you offer any opinion?

Flying freeholds in Ellesmere Port are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Ellesmere Port you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Ellesmere Port may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have since discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in Ellesmere Port. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Ellesmere Port ?

Most houses in Ellesmere Port are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Ellesmere Port in which case you should be shopping around for a Ellesmere Port conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer will report to you on the legal implications.

Ellesmere Port Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

Many Ellesmere Port leasehold apartments will incur a service bill for maintenance of the block levied on behalf of the freeholder. Where you buy the flat you will have to meet this liability, usually quarterly during the year. This may differ from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common areas. There will also be a ground rent to be met annual, this is usually not a significant sum, say approximately £25-£75 but you should to enquire as on occasion it could be many hundreds of pounds. What is the the remaining lease term?