Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Didsbury. My lender is Platform
Platform have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 29/6/2025, the requirements read as follows :
I have paid off my mortgage with Virgin Money. I assume I don't need a Didsbury property lawyer on the Virgin Money panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Virgin Money 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 Virgin Money mortgage from the register. Virgin Money, 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 Virgin Money has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Virgin Money has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I have a mortgage with HSBC for my property in Didsbury. Conveyancing has been completed a year ago. Should I wish to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform HSBC?
Your original mortgage agreement with HSBC will provide that you need their approval in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of HSBC’s mortgage conditions. It may be that HSBC will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact HSBC directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a HSBC conveyancing panel solicitor.
I had an offer accepted on a house in Didsbury on 7/5/2025, valuation was booked 4 days later, received a clean bill of health. Solicitor instructed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Coventry BS and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. Are Coventry BS 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 Coventry BS to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
My colleague recommended that where I am buying in Didsbury I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?
A search of this type is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard Didsbury conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and setting out important information about Didsbury around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Didsbury Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Didsbury Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Didsbury.
How does conveyancing in Didsbury differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Didsbury come to us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is constructed. This is because house builders in Didsbury tend to purchase the site, 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 Didsbury or who has acted in the same development.
How can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my commercial premises in Didsbury and how can you help?
The 1954 Act affords a safeguard to business leaseholders, granting the dueness to make a request to court for a continuation of occupancy at the end of the lease term. There are limited grounds where a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are complicated. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing practices who use the act for protection and assist with commercial conveyancing in Didsbury
My cousin has recommend that I use his lawyers for conveyancing in Didsbury. Should I find my own conveyancer?
Much as we are happy to recommend a Didsbury conveyancing lawyer it’s preferable to find a conveyancing lawyer is to get recommendations from friends or relatives who have actually experience in using the solicitor you're considering.