Is it necessary to take out insurance to cover chancel repairs when acquiring a property in Chertsey?
Unless a prior purchase of the property took place post 12 October 2013 you can take it that lawyers carrying out conveyancing in Chertsey to remain recommending a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
How does conveyancing in Chertsey differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Chertsey approach us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is completed. This is because new home sellers in Chertsey typically purchase the real estate, 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 Chertsey or who has acted in the same development.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £305k and identified one round the corner in Chertsey I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Chertsey in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?
If you require a mortgage that many years will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you can ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this.
Is it best to choose a Chertsey conveyancing practitioner based in the location that I am purchasing? We have a good friend who can carry out the legal formalities but her office is a couple of hundredkilometers drive away.
The benefit of a local Chertsey conveyancing practice is that you can pop in to sign paperwork, present your ID and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local intelligence which is a benefit. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have instructed your friend and on the whole were content that should trump using an unfamiliar Chertsey conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being local.
I am attracted to a couple of maisonettes in Chertsey which have in the region of forty five years unexpired on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?
A lease is a right to use the premises for a period of time. As a lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more expensive to extend the lease. This is why it is often a good idea to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage companies may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We recommend you seek professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this field.
I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without getting anywhere. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on such matters? Can you recommend a Chertsey conveyancing firm to help?
if there is a missing landlord or where there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to determine the price.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Chertsey residence is 147 Redford Close in June 2012. The Tribunal determined the lease extension premium to be at £4,200 This case affected 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 82.93 years.
We have just become aware that one of the partners of the conveyancing practice undertaking the purchase conveyancing in Chertsey is related to the owners that we are buying from. Is this acceptable?
Provided there is no conflict of interest this should be fine. If you are obtaining a mortgage then the lender may have a say as many mortgage companies have specific instructions concerning this. For example for Santander as of 24/2/2026, the requirements read as follows :