I am buying a newly built apartment in Hale and my solicitor is informing me that she is duty bound to the mortgage company to disclose incentives from the seller. I am nearing the developer’s deadline to sign contracts and my preference is not to delay the conveyancing. is my lawyer playing by the book?
You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your conveyancer. A precondition to being on a lender panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
I have 71 years unexpired on my lease and need a lease extension for my flat in Hale. Conveyancing solicitors on the Tesco Bank panel can deal with such extensions right?
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are securing a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Tesco Bank have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 12/1/2025 the requirements read as follows :
I am buying a house and the solicitor has identified Chancel Repair to which the house may be obligated to pay given it’s proximity to the area of such a church. She has suggested insurance. Is this really warranted for conveyancing in Hale
Unless a previous purchase of the property took place after 12 October 2013 you could take it that lawyers handling conveyancing in Hale to continue to suggest a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.
How does conveyancing in Hale differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Hale approach us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is ready to move into. This is because new home sellers in Hale typically buy the land, 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 Hale or who has acted in the same development.
What tools are available to locate a Hale law firm on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am happy to travel upto 25miles to meet the solicitor.
Feel free to make use of the search on this website. Please choose the lender and your location and you will see a number of Hale conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have detailed some Hale conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can ring them to see if they are on the Leeds Building Society member panel
I am employed by a reputable estate agency in Hale where we have experienced a few leasehold sales put at risk due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received inconsistent advice from local Hale conveyancing solicitors. Can you clarify whether the seller of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?
Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser need not have to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, 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.
Hale Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries Prior to buying
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The majority of Hale leasehold apartments will have a service charge for the upkeep of the building set by the freeholder. Where you buy the property you will have to pay this contribution, normally periodically throughout the year. This may differ from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common grounds. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge to be met annual, ordinarily this is not a significant figure, say approximately £25-£75 but you should to enquire it because sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds. How long is the Lease? This information is useful as a) areas can cause problems in the block as the common areas may start to deteriorate if maintenance are not paid for b) if the leasehold owners have a dispute with the managing agents you will need to have complete disclosure