My financial adviser has asked me for my Hainault law firm’s panel member for the Santander conveyancing panel. Can you suggest how I discover this. I have contacted my local Hainault branch but they have not responded to me.
The sensible thing to do is ask for this information from your Hainault property lawyer . Most Hainault law firms will retain a file or database of lender panel information which would include, if applicable, their conveyancing panel details for each mortgage company.
What is the first thing I need to know regarding purchase conveyancing in Hainault?
Not many law firms or advisers will tell you this but conveyancing in Hainault and elsewhere in England and Wales is often a confrontational process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is plenty of room for conflict between you and other parties involved in the transaction. E.g., the vendor, property agent and sometimes the lender. Selecting a law firm for your conveyancing in Hainault should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY party in the transaction whose role it is to look after your legal interests and to keep you safe.
Sometimes a potential adversary may attempt to persuade you that you should follow their advice. For instance, the estate agent may claim to be assisting by suggesting your lawyer is wrong. Or your mortgage broker may advise you to do take action that is contrary to your lawyers guidance. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the conveyancing process.
About to place a bid on a leasehold property in Hainault. The property agents assure me that it is the norm for flats in Hainault to have less than 75 years unexpired on the lease. I am obtaining a mortgage with The Mortgage Works. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has 69 years unexpired.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. The Mortgage Works have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 3/10/2025 the requirements read as follows :
Where the unexpired lease term is different to that recorded on the mortgage offer, the following clarifies if we need to be informed:
Second hand property:
- If the unexpired lease term on the offer is 85 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 85 years
- if the unexpired lease term on the offer is less than 85 years – advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported
- For equity share applications - advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer
New build property:
- If the unexpired lease term stated on the offer is 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house) or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house)
- For equity share applications - always advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer
Lease terms such as ground rent and event fees must be reasonable at all times during the term of the lease and adhere to our requirements below. If you’re unsure as to whether the terms of a lease are unreasonable or onerous, please refer the details to us in plain English for Valuer consideration. If the potentially onerous terms are in relation to the ground rent please include the current ground rent figure per annum, how often it will be reviewed and the price structure it will be reviewed against. See the guidance below.
SECOND HAND PROPERTIES
Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (Will be declined):
- Unexpired lease term less than 70 years
- Less than 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term
- Ground Rent greater than 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent doubles less than every 20 years (e.g. doubles every 5, 10 or 15 years) - acceptable if doubles every 20 years or more
- Ground Rent is compounded RPI
- Ground Rent review period less than or equal to 5 years
Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Unexpired lease term is 70 to 85 years
- Ground Rent greater than 0.1% and less than or equal to 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to any indices greater than RPI
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building*
- Ground Rent review period is greater than 5 and less than 10 years
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1.0% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything that appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary
Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than 85 years
- Ground Rent less than or equal to 0.1% of the property value
- Ground Rent review period greater than or equal to 10 years
- Ground Rent escalation less than or equal to RPI
NEW BUILD PROPERTIES (includes office conversions)
Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (will be declined):
- Unexpired lease term less than 125 years on a new build flat or less than 250 years on a new build house
- Any lease which is subject to a ground rent (or annual rent) being charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis
- Any lease which is subject to a ground rent (or annual rent) being reviewed and altered on any review basis or methodology
Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1.0% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything else appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary
Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than or equal to 125 years on a new build flat or greater than or equal to 250 years on a new build house
- A lease subject to a peppercorn ground rent (annual rent) charges
For the avoidance of doubt, any new build properties completed but not sold pre 30 June 2022 will only be acceptable if the lease conforms to the above guidance
* Where the Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building, please provide the following:
- How is the value of the block/unit currently calculated and if the assessment relates to the block(s), how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned per property?
- The current valuation and Ground Rent for each unit
- What is the mechanism for future valuations of the block and how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned?
- What is the right of appeal? And is this a documented process within the lease?
- Who bears the cost of the valuation (and appeal) process?
- Confirmation the review period is not less than twenty years
LEASE EXTENSIONS
We require all lease extensions to be completed under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 and to meet the above criteria as a minimum. Where you become aware that it does not meet these requirements, please refer to the Issuing Office
Please ensure that all lender enquiries are submitted (with full documentation/requirements) at least 2 weeks prior to exchange to allow sufficient time for review and decisioning.
My wife and I are buying a apartment in Hainault. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a lawyer? On completion day we will need to send money into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our money?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
Can you point me to a directory of Principality panel conveyancers in Hainault on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?
No. There is no such tool on the CML or Building Society Association sites. Very few mortgage companies make their panel listings visible on the web. Where you are in need of a Hainault conveyancing practitioner on the Principality please use our facility.
Bank of Ireland have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on a property in Hainault has been agreed to, what happens next?
The property agent will need to know who your solicitors are (make sure the property lawyers are on the lender’s approved list). Contact Bank of Ireland or your financial adviser and finish off any outstanding documentation. Bank of Ireland will appoint a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or seller to arrange an appointment. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes approximately ten days to receive the mortgage offer. Bank of Ireland will send the offer to you and your conveyancing practitioners. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Hainault.
As co-executor for the will of my grandmother I am selling a property in Swansea but live in Hainault. My lawyer (approximately 235 miles awayhas requested that I sign a statutory declaration ahead of the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing lawyer in Hainault who can witness and place their company stamp on the document?
strictly speaking you are unlikely to be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or solicitor will do regardless of whether they are based in Hainault
We are in the process of purchasing a apartment in Hainault. Could our conveyancing practitioner have the amount we are are purchasing for confidential from sites such as Zoopla. How do I make sure this is not revealed?
HMLR are legally required to specify price sold information on a register of the title for residential properties countrywide including homes in Hainault. The register of title is an open document, so HM Land Registry would be breaking the law if they failed to grant access to the register.
You can ask the Land Registry to hide the amount paid data however the answer would be in the negative.