We are a couple about to sign contracts for a freehold house in Whitchurch. We have hit a problem. The loan offer with The Mortgage Works runs out on 16/10/2025 but the vendors are putting forward a completion date of 20/10/2025. Can one prolong the loan offer?

The best person to address this question is your lawyer who should assess whether he or she is corresponding with the bank, owner’s lawyers, selling agents or conceivably all three based on the circumstances your conveyancing to date.

My lawyer in Whitchurch is not on the Platform Home Loans Ltd Conveyancing Panel. Is it possible for me to retain my prefered solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the Platform Home Loans Ltd approved list?

The limited options available to you here include:

1. Carry on with your existing Whitchurch lawyers but Platform Home Loans Ltd will need to retain a solicitor on their list of acceptable firms. This will result in additional total conveyancing charges as well as result in delays.
2. Get a new practitioner to to deal with the conveyancing, remembering to check they are on the Platform Home Loans Ltd panel

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Whitchurch I like with open areas and station in the vicinity, however it's only got 52 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Whitchurch suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

If you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for at least 2 years you could request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

I have recently realised that I have 68 years unexpired on my lease in Whitchurch. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What are my options?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to track down the lessor. On the whole a specialist should be useful to conduct investigations and to produce a report which can be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Whitchurch.

Whitchurch Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

It would be wise to investigate if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For instance some leases prohibit pets being permitted in certain buildings in Whitchurch. If you love the propertyin Whitchurch yet your cat can’t live with you then you have a very hard compromise. What prohibitions are contained in the Whitchurch Lease? Can you tell me if there are any major works anticipated that will likely increase the service costs?

How varied are the property related services that Whitchurch conveyancing organisations manage?

Most Whitchurch conveyancing firms can handle a number of services to domestic and agricultural land owners, sellers, purchasers, freeholders and tenants including the following:

Property sale conveyancing in Whitchurch or elsewhere in the country Property purchase conveyancing in Whitchurch and further afield Conveyancing relating to newly converted buildings Leasehold conveyancing selling and buying Matrimonial conveyancing countrywide Probate sale conveyancing