We are soon to complete buying a property in Duxford but as a result of wreckage from the recent storms I have managed to agree reparation from the seller of three thousand pounds in the form of a deduction in the price. This was going to be dealt with as part of a side agreement yet Santander are not allowing this. Why were they involved?
Your lawyer being on the Santander conveyancing panel is required to inform Santander of any changes to the sale price. If you were to refuse your conveyancing practitioner to notify the price change to Santander then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Santander and you would have to appoint a new conveyancing practitioner for your conveyancing in Duxford.
I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Duxford. My lender is Virgin
Virgin have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 3/5/2026, the requirements read as follows :
My stepmother pointed out to me me that in purchasing a property in Duxford there could be a number of restrictions prohibiting external changes to a property. Is this right?
There are a number of properties in Duxford which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external changes. Part of the conveyancing in Duxford should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
Having digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Duxford solicitor - who is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Bank of Ireland will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Bank of Ireland will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your conveyancing practitioner will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Duxford postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Duxford.
After what seems like an age I have had an offer on an apartment in Duxford accepted, but there is a chain. The sellers have put an offer on somewhere, however it’s not been accepted yet, and are looking at other properties booked. I have chosen a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Duxford. What do I do now? At what point do I apply for the mortgage with Barclays?
It is usual to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (mortgage application is approx £1k, then valuation, Duxford conveyancing search charges, etc). The first thing to do is ensure that your solicitor is on the Barclays conveyancing panel. As to the subsequent phase this very much dictated by the uniqueness of your transaction, motivation for the property and on the state of the market. In a hot market the majority of purchasers would apply for the mortgage with Barclays and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their conveyancing practitioner to move forward with searches.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Duxford I like with open areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 61 years on the lease. There is not much else in Duxford suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?
Should you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease will likely be an issue. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this.
Given that I will soon part with £400,000 on a garden flat in Duxford I would like to talk to a lawyer about myconveyancing in advance of appointing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?
We could not agree more - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the solicitor who will be carrying out your property ownership legalities in Duxford.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is an important individual, not a case reference. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are provided with for residential conveyancing in Duxford should be the amount on the final invoice that you are charged.
I am using a search engine for the words on line conveyancing in Duxford it reveals numerous property lawyerslocally. How do I determine which is the suitable conveyancer for purchase transaction?
The ideal method of finding the right conveyancer is through a trusted referral, so enquire of colleagues and relatives who have purchased a property in Duxford or the reputable estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Duxford differ, so it's sensible to obtain at least three quotes from different property lawyers. Dont forget to clarify what costs in the quote includes.