We are expecting a mortgage offer soon. The bank mentioned the mortgage came with free conveyancing. Does this mean I have to appoint their panel conveyancer as I would much rather appoint a local conveyancing solicitor in Covent Garden?
Do check but the the probability is that allocate you one of their panel solicitors where you take up the "fee-free" deal. Contact the mortgage company and explore if they allow a cash alternative. In the past a few mortgage companies offered a £250 cashback as a further option in which case that money can go towards the cost for your conveyancing solicitor in Covent Garden.
There is lots of information on this site concerning conveyancing in Covent Garden but what is your top tip for appointing the right conveyancer in Covent Garden
We would encourage you not to base your choice on the lowest Covent Garden conveyancing quote. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in advance.
My husband and I have organised the release of further monies on our home loan from Santander as we want to conduct a loft conversion to our house in Covent Garden. Are we obliged to select a local Covent Garden solicitor on the Santander conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?
Santander do not ordinarily instruct firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Santander panel.
My offer was accepted on a property in Covent Garden on 12/8/2025, valuation was booked 3 days later, all came back fine. Property lawyer instructed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to HSBC and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the HSBC conveyancing panel. Are HSBC entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for HSBC to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the HSBC conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
I have been told that property searches are a common reason for hinderance in Covent Garden conveyancing transactions. Is this right?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the top 10 causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Local searches are not likely to feature in any holding up conveyancing in Covent Garden.
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Covent Garden I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 52 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Covent Garden in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?
Should you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you could request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.
What makes your site different to other online quote calculators when it comes to conveyancing in Covent Garden?
At this site obtain a conveyancing costs illustration from a Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer that appreciates the issues for your conveyancing in Covent Garden. Unlike many estate agents and brokerage sites we do not operate referral arrangements with solicitors. Some agents and online brokers 'recommend' the firm that pays the most per referral, as opposed to the best value conveyancing in Covent Garden
I am attracted to a couple of apartments in Covent Garden both have approximately fifty years left on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?
There are no two ways about it. A leasehold flat in Covent Garden is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the value of the premises. The majority of buyers and banks, leases with less than eighty years become less and less attractive. 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 premises 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 Covent Garden 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. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that the agreed 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.
I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without any joy. Can one make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Covent Garden conveyancing firm to assist?
Most definitely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Covent Garden conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Covent Garden property is 20 Avonwick Road in July 2013. The Tribunal was dealing with an application under Section 26 of the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 for a determination of the freehold value of the property. It was concluded that the price to be paid was Fifteen Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy (£15,970) divided as to £8,200 for Flat 20 and £7,770 for Flat 20A This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired term was 73.26 years.