We are about to sign contracts for a semi detached house in Markfield. We have hit a stumbling block. Our mortgage offer with Godiva Mortgages Ltd runs out on 13/4/2026 but the owners are putting forward a completion date of 15/4/2026. Is it possible to extend the mortgage offer?

The person best placed to deal with your issue is your solicitors who is in a position to calculate if they better off negotiating with the bank, vendor’s lawyers, selling agents or conceivably all parties based on what has happend in your house move to date.

I am downsizing from our house in Markfield and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was constructed land that was not decontaminated. Any high street Markfield conveyancer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers instructed a nationwide conveyancing outfit rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Markfield. Having lived in Markfield for six years we know that this is a non issue. Should we contact our local Authority to obtain confirmation that there is no issue.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor already. What do they say? You need to enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same ailment)

Should I be wary by estate agents that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a factory type conveyancing firm as opposed to a local Markfield conveyancing practice?

As is the case with many professional services, often referrals from relatives can be most helpful. Nevertheless there are lots of players in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, financial adviser and mortgage companies might all suggest solicitors to choose. Sometimes the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but occasionally there is an underlying financial incentive behind the recommendation. You have the discretion to select your own conveyancer. You need to be aware that many banks have an approved list of conveyancers you are obliged to use for the mortgage related work in your conveyancing.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Markfield. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Leasehold Conveyancing in Markfield - A selection of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Is the freehold reversion owned jointly by the leaseholders? The answer will be useful as a) areas could cause problems in the building as the communal areas may start to deteriorate if services are not paid for b) if the leasehold owners have an issue with the managing agents you will want to have complete disclosure

I have read on a number of consumer advice websites that when selecting a conveyancing firm they need approved by your bank. This is my first home move but I have an offer in principle via Santander and I already have a bricks and morter conveyancing lawyer in Markfield lined up. Does Santander need an approved conveyancer to be instructed? If so, where can I find that list for my conveyancing in Markfield?

You need to instruct a solicitor that is on the Santander panel. The first thing to do is telephone your preferred Markfield conveyancing lawyer to check if they are on the Santander panel. If they are not approved you have a couple of choices available to you here:

• Proceed with your existing Markfield property lawyer but Santander will undoubtedly use a lawyer from their conveyancing panel. The net impact is additional charges and potential delay.
• Choose a new solicitor to conduct the conveyancing, obviously checking they are on the Santander conveyancing panel.
• Convince your lawyer to pull out all the stops to join the Santander panel of solicitors.