I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Birmingham. My lender is Chelsea Building Society
Chelsea Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 23/6/2025, the requirements read as follows :
When it comes to mortgage companies such as TSB, do Birmingham solicitors incur an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are not aware of any bank fees to register on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Skipton. I assume I don't need a Birmingham lawyer on the Skipton panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Skipton mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Skipton mortgage from the register. Skipton, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Skipton has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Skipton has instructed the Land Registry to do so
Having read lots of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Birmingham solicitor - who is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Lloyds will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Lloyds will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Birmingham surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
How does conveyancing in Birmingham differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Birmingham contact us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is ready to move into. This is because house builders in Birmingham typically buy 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 Birmingham or who has acted in the same development.
Should I be suspicious that estate agents that I am dealing with are suggesting a web based conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street Birmingham conveyancing company?
As with many professional services, often recommendations from family and friends can be very helpful. Nevertheless there are lots of parties with a keen interest in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, financial adviser and lenders may put forward lawyers to use. Sometimes the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but occasionally there may be a financial incentive behind the recommendation. You are at liberty to choose your preferred conveyancer. You need to be aware that the majority of mortgage providers specify a panel list of conveyancers you are obliged to use for the lender related work in your home move.
I am attracted to a couple of flats in Birmingham which have about fifty years unexpired on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?
There are no two ways about it. A leasehold flat in Birmingham is a deteriorating asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the marketability of the premises. For most buyers and lenders, leases with less than 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a property with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Birmingham conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.
Birmingham Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to buying
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The majority of Birmingham leasehold flats will incur a service bill for maintenance of the building invoiced by the landlord. Should you purchase the property you will have to pay this amount, normally in instalments throughout the year. This may be anything from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built blocks. In all probability there will be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a significant amount, say around £50-£100 but you need to check it because sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds. How long is the Lease? Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge liability?
I am due to review costs for conveyancing in Birmingham from three solicitor and choose one. Am I right to ask them to hold tight until I have found somewhere to purchase.
You should wait to get your lawyer to start work and apply for searches after the offer has been accepted on the property particularly as Birmingham conveyancing searches are a couple of hundred pounds.