I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Shenfield. My lender is Platform

Platform have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 20/7/2024, the requirements read as follows :

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my house are lost. The solicitors who handled the conveyancing in Shenfield 5 years ago have long since closed. What are my next steps?

You no longer need to hold title deeds to establish that you are the registered proprietor of land or premises, as the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.

How does conveyancing in Shenfield differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Shenfield approach us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is constructed. This is because new home sellers in Shenfield typically purchase the land, 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 Shenfield or who has acted in the same development.

I opted to have a survey done on a property in Shenfield in advance of retaining conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. My surveyor has said that some mortgage companies will refuse to issue a loan on a flying freehold premises.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different requirements for example to Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can look into this further with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Shenfield. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Shenfield to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two flats in Shenfield which have in the region of 50 years remaining on the leases. should I be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in Shenfield. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As a lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more expensive to extend the lease. For this reason it is advisable to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage companies may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Shenfield - Sample of Questions you should ask before buying

For most Shenfield leaseholds the outlay for major works are not wrapped into the service charges, albeit that there some managing agents in Shenfield obliged tenants to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific purpose of building a fund for major works. Be sure to discover if there are any onerous prohibitions in the lease. By way of example some leases prohibit pets being allowed in certain buildings in Shenfield. If you love the propertyin Shenfield however your dog is not allowed to make the move with you then you have a very hard choice. Can you inform me if there are any major works in the planning that could increase the maintenance charges?