Is the fact that my conveyancer in Fakenham is not on my mortgage company's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of his conveyancing?
It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Fakenham conveyancing practice and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.
My fiance and I swapping mortgage lender for our flat in Fakenham with HSBC. We have a son 18 who lives at home. Our solicitor requested us to identify anyone over the age of 17 other than ourselves who lives in the flat. The solicitor has now sent a form for our son to sign, waiving any legal rights in the event that the flat is forfeited by the lender. I have a couple of questions (1) Is this form unique to the HSBC conveyancing panel as he did not need to sign this form when we purchased 3 years ago (2) Does our son by signing this extinguish his entitlement to inherit the property?
First, rest assured that your HSBC conveyancing panel solicitor is doing the right thing as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to HSBC. This is solely used to protect HSBC if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave. It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of HSBC had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.
I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Fakenham. My lender is Accord Mortgages
Accord Mortgages have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 8/10/2025, the requirements read as follows :
I moved into my flat on 1 May and the transaction details is not yet on the land registry website. Need I be worried? My conveyancing solicitor in Fakenham said it will be recorded in a couple of weeks. Are titles in Fakenham particularly slow to register?
As far as conveyancing in Fakenham registration is no faster or slower than anywhere else in England and Wales. Rather than based on location, timescales can vary according to the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry communicate with any 3rd persons or bodies. As of today approximately three quarters of submission are completed within two weeks but occasionally there can be extensive hold-ups. Historically registration occurs after the buyer is living at the property therefore 'speed' is not usually primary concern yet where there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your solicitor could speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Fakenham I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 51 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Fakenham in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?
If you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.
I am employed by a reputable estate agent office in Fakenham where we see a few flat sales derailed as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local Fakenham conveyancing firms. Could you confirm whether the vendor of a flat can start the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?
As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.
Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.
I am the registered owner of a 1st floor flat in Fakenham, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable flats in Fakenham with a long lease are worth £206,000. The ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2091
With 66 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £12,400 and £14,200 plus legals.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.