It is unclear whether my bank requires a lease extension. I have telephoned my Dorchester building society branch on a couple of occasions and was told it does not impact the mortgage offer and they would lend. My Dorchester conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they refuse to lend in accordance with their specific requirements. Who do I believe?
Your property lawyer has to comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 provisions for your lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in November 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Bank of Ireland are being pedantic. The Dorchester solicitor who is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Bank of Ireland are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Bank of Ireland have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Bank of Ireland have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Bank of Ireland may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
I had an offer accepted on a property in Dorchester on 3/6/2026, valuation was booked 2 days after, received a clean bill of health. Solicitor retained, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Nationwide and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Nationwide to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Various internet forums that I have frequented warn that are the main cause of delay in Dorchester conveyancing transactions. Is this right?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published findings of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the most frequent causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are unlikely to be the root cause of delay in conveyancing in Dorchester.
It has been 3 months since my purchase conveyancing in Dorchester concluded. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £180,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the residence from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
How does conveyancing in Dorchester differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Dorchester contact us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is finished. This is because house builders in Dorchester usually 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 property lawyers 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 Dorchester or who has acted in the same development.
My business partner and I are planning to take an assignment of a lease of an office on a shopping parade. Can you recommend solicitors offering competitive charges for commercial conveyancing in Dorchester for less than £2000?
We can recommend firms who have well rounded knowledge of commercial conveyancing in Dorchester, including the disposal and acquisition of businesses as well as simply premises. If you are looking to buy or sell a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail premises or a whole business we will put you in touch with the right lawyer. As for the costs this will depend on the structure and terms of the proposed transaction. Let us have your details or telephone so as to enable us to furnish you with comprehensive commercial conveyancing quote.
My husband and I intend to buy our first home in Dorchester. Conveyancing lawyer already chosen. The broker advised that a survey is not appropriate as the house was only built twenty two years ago.
At the very least you should have a Home Buyer's Report. Given the property is more than ten years old the property will not benefit from a warranty, so you don't want to take a risk. For a property that age with no signs of defects a Home Buyer's report may be sufficient. They will highlight any apparent issues and recommend further investigation if appropriate. If there are any indications of problems seek a comprehensive structural survey.