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

Where you are retaining lawyers for conveyancing in Harrogate your solicitor will request that you place them with monies to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. This will be the total of the cost of the conveyancing searches. If any down payment is as part of the purchase price then this will be required immediately prior to contracts are exchanged. The closing balance that is due should be transferred a few days ahead of the completion date.

I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Harrogate. My lender is Platform

Platform have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 28/11/2025, the requirements read as follows :

It is unclear whether my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called my Harrogate building society branch on numerous occasions and was informed it wasn't an issue and they would lend. My Harrogate conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called to say that they will not lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?

As long as the conveyancing practitioner is on the bank panel, they must follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook provisions for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

I recently had an offer agreed on a house in Harrogate. My financial adviser suggested a property lawyer. I paid an on account payment of £225. Soon after, the property lawyer called me to say that they were not on the HSBC conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the HSBC panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Coventry BS have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on a property in Harrogate has been agreed to, now what?

Your property agent will need to know who your solicitors are (ensure that the conveyancing practitioners are on the bank’s panel). Call up Coventry BS or the broker and finish off any relevant documentation. Coventry BS will sellect a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or owners to schedule a slot for the valuation to happen. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes about a week for the mortgage offer to be issued. Coventry BS will issue the offer to you and your conveyancing practitioners. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Harrogate.

I would like to let out my leasehold apartment in Harrogate. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

The lease dictates relations between the freeholder and you the flat owner; in particular, it will say if subletting is banned, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. Most leases in Harrogate do not prevent strict prohibition on subletting – such a provision would undoubtedly devalue the property. Instead, there is usually a basic requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a copy of the tenancy agreement.

I inherited a 2 bed flat in Harrogate, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Equivalent flats in Harrogate with an extended lease are worth £201,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2090

You have 65 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £13,300 and £15,400 plus professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

What is the reason for my conveyancing practitioner requiring numerous items of identification before I can proceed with selling or buying a property in Harrogate?

Harrogate solicitors are obliged by the Law Society, Solicitors Regulation Authority, HM Land Registry and current Money Laundering legislation to record that the have verified the identity of their clients. It is also sometimes a requirement of your bank where you are taking a mortgage. In addition they have to complete various forms, particularly those relating to Land Tax and need to have details such as your full names, national insurance number and DOB.