We see that you have a search directory identifying law firms on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a commission if I appoint them for our own conveyancing in Cowley?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Cowley.
I am about to put an offer on a leasehold apartment in Cowley. The selling agents assure me that it is standard for flats in Cowley to have less than 75 years left on the lease. I am taking out a mortgage with Virgin. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has 72 years remaining.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are securing a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Virgin have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 16/5/2026 the requirements read as follows :
This question may be naive but I am unexperienced as FTB of a garden flat in Cowley. Do I pick up the keys to the house on the completion date from my solicitor? If this is the case, I will use a local conveyancing solicitor in Cowley?
On the day of completion you will not be required to go to the conveyancers office in Cowley. Your solicitors will transfer the purchase money to the vendor’s solicitors, and once they have received this, you will be able to receive the keys from the Estate Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this occurs early afternoon.
We had selected solicitors locally in Cowley on the Yorkshire BS solicitor panel. They have just billed me a separate sum for dealing with the Yorkshire BS mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Yorkshire BS?
Provided it is contained in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your property lawyer may levy a fee for this. The charge is not dictated by Yorkshire BS but by your Cowley conveyancer. Some firms on the Yorkshire BS panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but some firms include it on their overall fee.
Our offer on a property in Cowley has been agreed to, but there is a chain. The owners have offered on on an apartment, however it’s not yet tied up, and have viewings of other apartments in the pipeline. I have instructed a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Cowley. What do I do now? When do I get the mortgage application with Lloyds started?
It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (mortgage application is approx one thousand pounds, then valuation, Cowley conveyancing search fees, etc). The first thing to do is check that your solicitor is on the Lloyds approved list. Regarding the subsequent steps this very much dictated by the specifics of your transaction, desire for the property and on the state of the market. During a buoyant market some purchasers would apply for the mortgage with Lloyds and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they request their solicitor to proceed with the conveyancing in Cowley.
How does conveyancing in Cowley differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Cowley approach us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is completed. This is because builders in Cowley tend to 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 conveyancers 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 used to new build conveyancing in Cowley or who has acted in the same development.
I opted to have a survey done on a property in Cowley prior to appointing solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor advised that some lenders may refuse to grant a mortgage on this type of house.
It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. If you contact us we can look into this further with the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Cowley. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Cowley especially if they are acquainted with such properties in Cowley.
I own a garden flat in Cowley. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the premium payable for a lease extension?
Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Cowley conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Cowley residence is 164 Nestles Avenue in October 2013. The tribunal agreed with the proposed price of £20,158 for the freehold and determined that that sum is the amount to be paid into court This case affected 2 flats. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 69 years.
What makes a Cowley lease unacceptable for security purposes?
There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Cowley. All leases are drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain sections are erroneous. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:
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Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts. Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage
A defective lease can cause issues when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Lloyds TSB Bank, Coventry Building Society, and Bank of Ireland all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is problematic they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the buyer to pull out.