I am need of leasehold conveyancing for an apartment in a relatively new development (seven years built) in Crewkerne. 95% of the properties have already been occupied. Do I need carry out the local searches for my conveyancing in Crewkerne?
Where you are obtaining a mortgage, your bank will require some (many) of the searches so you'll have no choice. If not, then Crewkerne conveyancing searches are for you to decide upon. No doubt your conveyancer, will ’encourage’, perhaps in the strongest possible terms, that you should not go ahead without searches, but he or she is duty bound in this regard. One thing to bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future buyer what the searches contain. Sometimes houses with no practical issues can still throw up adverse search results. But if you insist that your lawyer to proceed without searches then your lawyer will have to follow your instructions or ask you to appoint a different lawyer for your conveyancing in Crewkerne.
I have paid off my mortgage with Clydesdale. I assume I don't need a Crewkerne solicitor on the Clydesdale panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Clydesdale mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Clydesdale mortgage from the register. Clydesdale, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Clydesdale has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Clydesdale has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Crewkerne off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with RBS. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use 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.
My offer was accepted on a property in Crewkerne on 17/4/2026, valuation was booked five days later, received a clean bill of health. Solicitor instructed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Leeds Building Society and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Are Leeds Building Society 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 Leeds Building Society to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Crewkerne?
Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Crewkerne. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
How does conveyancing in Crewkerne differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Crewkerne contact us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is ready to move into. This is because builders in Crewkerne usually buy the land, 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 Crewkerne or who has acted in the same development.
I decided to have a survey carried out on a property in Crewkerne before appointing solicitors. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. My surveyor has said that some lenders tend not grant a loan on such a property.
It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. If you contact us we can check with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Crewkerne. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Crewkerne conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?
If you are instructing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Crewkerne conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you talk with two or three firms including non Crewkerne conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be of use:
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How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation? What are the costs for lease extension work?
I bought a leasehold flat in Crewkerne, conveyancing was carried out in 2003. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar flats in Crewkerne with a long lease are worth £179,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2083
With 57 years left to run the likely cost is going to range between £26,600 and £30,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.