About to place a bid on a leasehold apartment in Derby. The property agents tell me that it is standard for flats in Derby to have less than 75 years left on the lease. I am expecting a mortgage with Chelsea Building Society. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has Seventy One years unexpired.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are obtaining a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Chelsea Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 10/10/2025 the requirements read as follows :
I require quick conveyancing in Derby as I have a deadline to sign on the dotted line within 3 weeks. A home loan is not required. Can I escape the need for conveyancing searches to save fees and time?
As you are not getting a home loan you have the choice not to have searches conducted although no conveyancer would suggest that you don't. With plenty of history conveyancing in Derby the following are examples of issues that can appear and therefore affect future mortgageability: Refused Planning Applications, Overdue Charges, Overdue Grants, Railway Schemes,...
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what was supposed to be a quick, no chain conveyancing. Derby is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?
Flying freeholds in Derby are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Derby you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Derby may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.
In my capacity as executor for the will of my father I am selling a house in Swansea but reside in Derby. My solicitor (based 300 miles from meneeds me to execute a statutory declaration prior to the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Derby to attest and place their company stamp on the document?
strictly speaking you are not likely to be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally or notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are Derby based
There are only 68 years unexpired on my lease in Derby. I now wish to extend my lease but my freeholder is can not be found. What should I do?
If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to locate the lessor. In some cases an enquiry agent may be useful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Derby.
Derby Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should consider before buying
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Most Derby leasehold flats will have a service charge for maintenance of the block set by the freeholder. Should you purchase the apartment you will have to pay this amount, normally quarterly throughout the year. This could differ from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large communal grounds. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay annual, this is usually not a large amount, say around £25-£75 but you should to check as on occasion it could be prohibitively expensive. Who takes charge for maintaining and repairing the building?
Being a tenant I am liable for a maintenance contribution for my ground floor flat in Derby. As a result of personal circumstances I fell behind with payments. I negotiated a payment plan but there remains in the region of £3000 due in arrears.
I want to dispose of the property and I am panicking this could hold me back if I have to settle the arrears in advance. I'd like to sell up and subsequently repay the debt from the proceeds - is this viable?
The conveyancing practitioner handing your Derby sale will hopefully be able to negotiate with the management company, and agree with them whether or not they would accept payment from sale proceeds. Here is an example of why it might be good to appoint a conveyancing practitioner in Derby as they may well have an established relationship with the parties.