I am one month into the sale of my apartment in Cippenham and the EA has just e-mailed to say that the purchasers are swapping property lawyer. The reason given is that the bank will only engage with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a leading mortgage company only deal with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Cippenham ?
Banks have always had panels of law firms that can represent them, but in recent years big names such as Nationwide, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 15 years.
Mortgage companies point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the reduction – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.
Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Cippenham. My lender is Accord Mortgages
Accord Mortgages have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 29/3/2025, the requirements read as follows :
Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and identified one round the corner in Cippenham I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, however it only has 49 years on the lease. There is not much else in Cippenham for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?
If you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you can request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.
I am looking into buying my first house which is in Cippenham and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Cippenham. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Cippenham area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?
Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Cippenham. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found
I am using a search engine for the phrase cheap conveyancing in Cippenham it brings up numerous solicitorsin the area. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right solicitor for the sale of my house?
The ideal way of finding a suitable conveyancer is through a trusted recommendation, so enquire of friends and relatives who have acquired a property in Cippenham or a reputable estate agent or financial adviser. Charges for conveyancing in Cippenham differ, so it's sensible to obtain a minimum of three quotes from different companies. Make sure that you clarify that the charges are guaranteed not to rise.
My partner and I may need to rent out our Cippenham 1st floor flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Cippenham conveyancing practice in 2004 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time seek any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?
A small minority of properties in Cippenham do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience suggests that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting consent.
I am the registered owner of a garden flat in Cippenham, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2004. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Cippenham with a long lease are worth £180,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease expires on 21st October 2084
With 59 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £20,900 and £24,200 as well as professional fees.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.