My husband and I are intending to acquire a 1 bedroom flat in Godalming with a mortgage. We like our Godalming lawyer, however the bank says he's not on their "panel". It appears that we have little choice but to use one of the bank panel solicitors or retain our Godalming property lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to represent them. This seems very unfair; are we not able to insist that the bank use our Godalming lawyer ?
No, not really. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your Godalming conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
My partner and I have lately acquired a property in Godalming. We have noticed several issues with the property which we consider were omitted in the conveyancing searches. Is there anything we can do? Can you clarify the nature of searches that needed to have been carried out as part of conveyancing in Godalming?
It is not clear from the question as what problems have arisen and if they are unique to conveyancing in Godalming. Conveyancing searches and due diligence initiated as part of the legal transfer of property are designed to help avoid problems. As part of the process, the vendor answers a questionnaire known as a Seller’s Property Information Form. answers is inaccurate, then you may have a claim against the vendor for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Godalming.
Completed the sale of my flat in Godalming last February yet the purchaser is calling me complaining that their conveyancer needs to hear from mysolicitor. What should my lawyer have done following completion?
Following your house sale your conveyancer is committed to send the transfer documentation and all additional paperwork to the purchaser's solicitors. If applicable, your lawyer must also confirm that the legal charge in favour of the lender has been repaid to the purchasers solicitors. There are no post completion procedures unique to conveyancing in Godalming.
About to place an offer on a leasehold apartment in Godalming. The property agents advise that it is the norm for flats in Godalming to have less than 75 years left on the lease. I am getting a loan with Virgin. Is this going to be acceptable if 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. Virgin have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 23/1/2026 the requirements read as follows :
Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Godalming I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it only has 61 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Godalming suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?
If you require a home loan that many years will be problematic. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you can ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.
I've recently bought a leasehold property in Godalming. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?
In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
I own a 1st floor flat in Godalming, conveyancing was carried out June 2003. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding properties in Godalming with a long lease are worth £202,000. The ground rent is £60 invoiced every year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2083
With only 57 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to range between £28,500 and £33,000 plus legals.
The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.