I am about to put a bid on a leasehold property in Pangbourne. The selling agents assure me that it is normal for flats in Pangbourne to have less than 75 years left on the lease. I am getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has 69 years remaining.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are obtaining a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Bank of Ireland have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 6/2/2026 the requirements read as follows :
I purchased a renovated Edwardian house in Pangbourne. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Clydesdale. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Pangbourne and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who carried out the work.
How does conveyancing in Pangbourne differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Pangbourne contact us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is completed. This is because house builders in Pangbourne tend to 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 used to new build conveyancing in Pangbourne or who has acted in the same development.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Pangbourne I like with open areas and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 49 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Pangbourne suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?
If you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be problematic. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you can ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.
We are thinking of choosing a web based property lawyer as opposed to a Pangbourne conveyancing firm. Am I making a mistake?
There are advantages of being able to visit a local Pangbourne conveyancing solicitor such as
- signing papers same day
- having one on one explanations of things that need explaining
- the ability to raise concerns if things need to addressed
When checking estimates, look out for hidden extras. The majority decent Pangbourne high street solicitors give an all-inclusive price. Often online companies appear to offer cheap fees, but have burried 'extras' in the in the terms and conditions.