I am purchasing a property mortgage free in County Durham. I have lived for the previous dozen years in County Durham. Conveyancing searches are expensive. Given that I know the area and road intimately must I have all the conveyancing searches?
Provided that you do not need a mortgage, then almost all of the County Durham conveyancing searches are non-obligatory. Your lawyer will 'advise', perhaps strongly, that you should have searches completed, but he is duty bound to do this. One thing to take into account; if you are likely to dispose of the house at a future date, it will be of importance to your prospective buyer what the searches determine. Sometimes premises with day to day issues can still throw up negative search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in County Durham will provide you some sensible guidance in this regard.
I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in County Durham. My lender is Virgin
Virgin have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 7/6/2025, the requirements read as follows :
We previously chose conveyancing lawyers based in County Durham on the Bank of Ireland solicitor panel. They are now charging me a further charge for the legal aspects of the Bank of Ireland mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Bank of Ireland?
As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your solicitor is entitled to charge a fee for this. The charge is not set by Bank of Ireland but by your County Durham conveyancer. Some firms on the Bank of Ireland panel will quote an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.
We were going to get a OIP from Clydesdale this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Clydesdale recommend any County Durham solicitors on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint County Durham solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Clydesdale through the process.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in County Durham. I have a mortgage agreed with RBS. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with RBS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the RBS conveyancing panel.
The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in County Durham. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.
Here are examples of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in County Durham
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Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. Please supply a car parking plan. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal.
I'm remortgaging my primary home to a buy to let loan with Barclays and intend to use the remaining equity as a down payment on another house. The location we are talking about is County Durham. Will your solicitors be able to act for both sets of banks and link together the transactions?
Make use of our search tool on this site to ensure that the solicitors are approved by both banks. Assuming that they are your solicitor should be able to connect the two transactions but you should have a chat with you solicitor and specify your desired outcome and needs.
I today plan to offer on a house that appears to be perfect, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just been informed that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in County Durham. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?
Most houses in County Durham are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in County Durham in which case you should be looking for a County Durham conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the freeholder’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.