My wife and I are buying a newly constructed duplex in Greenfield and my conveyancer is telling me that she is duty bound to the lender to disclose incentives from the seller. I am on a tight deadline to sign contracts and I have no desire to prolong deal. is my lawyer playing by the book?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your solicitor. A precondition to being on a mortgage company panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

2 months have elapsed since my purchase conveyancing in Greenfield took place. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £215,000. 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 residence 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.

How does conveyancing in Greenfield differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Greenfield come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is completed. This is because developers in Greenfield usually purchase the real estate, 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 Greenfield or who has acted in the same development.

I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Greenfield. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Greenfield - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I invested in buying a basement flat in Greenfield, conveyancing having been completed 9 years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Comparable flats in Greenfield with over 90 years remaining are worth £179,000. The ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2081

You have 57 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £26,600 and £30,800 as well as legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

I bought a flat in Greenfield last 29/9/2023 and to date it is still not recorded with HM Land Registry. It is part of a new estate and my conveyancing practitioner told me that it may take twelve months to complete the registration formalities. I have called the Land Registry directly and they say that the initial application was cancelled due to failure to reply to requisitions. Should I be concerned?

It is your conveyancing practitioner that you must get in touch with in order to satisfy any issues which have arisen as part of the registration process for your Greenfield property. Normal Greenfield conveyancing practice includes an undertaking on the part of the vendor’s solicitor that they will help resolve any requirements raised by HMLR so it may be a case of taking action to enforce that undertaking in some way.