We were just about to sign contracts for a ground floor flat in The Ridgeway. We have hit a problem. Our loan offer with Aldermore runs out on 7/4/2026 but the vendors are insisting on a completion date of 9/4/2026. Is it possible to extend the mortgage offer?

The person best placed to address this concern is your conveyancer who will assess if they corresponding with the lender, seller’s representatives, property agents or conceivably all three based on what has happend in your conveyancing as of today.

four months have gone by since my purchase conveyancing in The Ridgeway took place. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £215,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the premises from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in two weeks back in what should have been a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. The Ridgeway is where the house is located. Can you offer any guidance?

Flying freeholds in The Ridgeway are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in The Ridgeway you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in The Ridgeway may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.

I was advised by numerous property agents in The Ridgeway to locate a conveyancer using your seach tool. What’s the financial advantage for Estate Agents to recommend your lawyers over and above alternative conveyancing organisations?

We don’t give any referral fee for directing people in our direction. We thought it would be too underhand a fee because home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

I’m about to sell my ground floor flat in The Ridgeway. Conveyancing has not commenced, but I have recently received a half-yearly maintenance charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you pay the maintenance contribution as normal given that all rents and maintenance invoices should be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

We have reached the end of our tether in trying to purchase the freehold in The Ridgeway. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a The Ridgeway conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a The Ridgeway residence is Various @ Colombus Square in January 2012. the Tribunal calculated the premiums to be paid for new leases for each of the flats in Mariners Walk to be £3822 and the premium to be paid for the new lease of 2 Knights Court to be £4439. This case affected 13 flats. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 76 years.