I am not in a position to travel far from Sittingbourne. I would like to know the understand why all Sittingbourne lawyers aren't included on all mortgage company panels?

Banks point to the fact that solicitor-led fraud is thought to be responsible for millions of pounds of fraud annually.The elimination of law firms from lender panels started with the rise in mortgage fraud, which prompted a thematic review by the Financial Services Authority in 2011. Its outcome included recommendations for mortgage companies to review their conveyancing panels, which kicked off a major policy change in the sector. This resulted in lenders pruning less reputable firms off their panel of approved lawyers .

We are planning to acquire a flat and require a conveyancing solicitor in Sittingbourne who is on the Santander approved panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Santander . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Sittingbourne.

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

Virgin have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 27/12/2025, the requirements read as follows :

About to purchase a new build apartment in Sittingbourne. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Sittingbourne

The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Please confirm the Lease plans are architect prepared. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose?

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Sittingbourne from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Sittingbourne can be reduced if you appoint lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
If you have had any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a flat where a dispute is unresolved. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as over rather than ongoing. If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Sittingbourne leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Should you dont have the approvals in place you should not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in advance. You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this via your solicitors. A purchaser's lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the remaining number of years is less than 80 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

I am the registered owner of a basement flat in Sittingbourne, conveyancing formalities finalised 4 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? Corresponding flats in Sittingbourne with a long lease are worth £216,000. The ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease ends on 21st October 2094

With just 69 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.