We are about to sign contracts for a property in Bromborough. We encountered a stumbling block. Our loan offer with National Westminster Bank expires on 11/5/2026 but the vendors are suggesting a completion date of 13/5/2026. Can one prolong the mortgage offer?
The best person to address this issue is your lawyer who will hopefully assess if they better off negotiating with the mortgage broker, seller’s conveyancers, selling agents or conceivably all three based on the history of your conveyancing to date.
I am about to put an offer on a leasehold property in Bromborough. The estate agents advise that it is the norm for flats in Bromborough to have less than 75 years left on the lease. I am taking out a mortgage with Nationwide Building Society. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has 69 years left.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Nationwide Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 10/3/2026 the requirements read as follows :
- There must be at least 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term (regardless of the length of lease at the start).
Where the unexpired lease term is different to that recorded on the mortgage offer, the following clarifies if we need to be informed:
Second hand property:
- If the unexpired lease term on the offer is 85 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 85 years
- if the unexpired lease term on the offer is less than 85 years – advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported
- For equity share applications - advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer
- Where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat and the unexpired lease term on the offer is 90 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 90 years.
New build property:
- If the unexpired lease term stated on the offer is 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house) or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house)
- For equity share applications - always advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer
Lease terms such as ground rent and event fees must be reasonable at all times during the term of the lease and adhere to our requirements below. If you’re unsure as to whether the terms of a lease are unreasonable or onerous, please refer the details to us in plain English for Valuer consideration. If the potentially onerous terms are in relation to the ground rent please include the current ground rent figure per annum, how often it will be reviewed and the price structure it will be reviewed against. See the guidance below.
SECOND HAND PROPERTIES
Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (Will be declined):
- Unexpired lease term less than 55 years
- Unexpired lease term less than 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat
- Less than 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term
- Ground Rent greater than 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent doubles less than every 20 years (e.g. doubles every 5, 10 or 15 years) - acceptable if doubles every 20 years or more
- Ground Rent is compounded RPI
- Ground Rent review period is less than or equal to 5 years
Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Unexpired lease term is 55 to 85 years
- Ground Rent greater than 0.1% and less than or equal to 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to any indices greater than RPI
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building*
- Ground Rent review period is greater than 5 and less than 10 years
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial, etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything that appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary
Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than 85 years (Minimum 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat)
- Ground Rent less than or equal to 0.1% of the property value
- Ground Rent review period greater than or equal to 10 years
- Ground Rent escalation less than or equal to RPI
NEW BUILD PROPERTIES (includes office conversions)
Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (Will be declined)
- Unexpired lease term less than 125 years on a new build flat or less than 250 years on a new build house (does not apply to Shared Ownership)
- Any lease which is subject to a Ground Rent (or Annual Rent) being charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis
- Any lease which is subject to a Ground Rent (or Annual Rent) being charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis
Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything else appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary
Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than or equal to 125 years on a new build flat or greater than or equal to 250 years on a new build house
- A lease subject to a peppercorn Ground Rent (Annual Rent) charges
For the avoidance of doubt, any New Build properties completed but not sold pre-30 June 2022 will only be acceptable if the Lease conforms to the above guidance.
* Where the Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building, please provide the following:
- How is the value of the block/unit currently calculated and if the assessment relates to the block(s), how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned per property?
- The current valuation and Ground Rent for each unit
- What is the mechanism for future valuations of the block and how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned?
- What is the right of appeal? And is this a documented process within the lease?
- Who bears the cost of the valuation (and appeal) process?
- Confirmation the review period is not less than twenty years.
Lease Extensions
We require all Lease Extensions to be completed under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 and to meet the above criteria as a minimum. Where you become aware that it does not meet these requirements, please refer to Issuing Office.
Please ensure that all lender enquiries are submitted (with full documentation/requirements) at least 2 weeks prior to exchange to allow sufficient time for review and decisioning.
Just bought a detached house in Bromborough , What is the estimated time for the Land Registry to register my ownership? My Bromborough conveyancing solicitor has been painfully slow, so I want to check the land registry aspects are dealt with.
There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Bromborough registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can adjust subject to who lodges the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry communicate with any third parties. Currently roughly three quarters of submission are completed in less than three weeks but occasionally there can be extensive hold-ups. Historically registration occurs after the new owner is living at the property so an expedited registration is not always primary concern yet if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your solicitor should speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.
My brother has encouraged me to instruct his conveyancing solicitors in Bromborough. Should I use them?
No doubt the best way to find a conveyancing practitioner is to get referrals from friends or relatives who have used the firm that you are contemplating using.
Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Bromborough. Before I get started I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.
Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Bromborough - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.
I own a 1 bedroom flat in Bromborough, conveyancing was carried out June 1998. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable flats in Bromborough with an extended lease are worth £265,000. The ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2101
With just 75 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as legals.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.
I am about to complete on the purchase a house in Bromborough but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have agreed recompense from the owner of £3k by way of a reduction in the price. This was going to be addressed as part of the conveyancing process but the lender will not agree to this. Should they have been involved?
The conveyancing practitioner listed on a bank approved list is obliged to advise the bank of any variations to the purchase figure. In the event that you were to refuse your conveyancing practitioner to notify the price change to your mortgage company then they would have to disinstructing themselves from representing you and the lender.