We are a couple about to exchange contracts for a property in Hampshire. We have hit a stumbling block. Our mortgage offer with Virgin Money expires on 9/6/2026 but the vendors are suggesting a completion date of 11/6/2026. Is it possible to extend the mortgage expiry date?
The best person to deal with your issue is your conveyancer who is in a position to assess if he or she is should be discussing with the mortgage broker, vendor’s representatives, estate agents or possibly all parties taking into account what has happend in your transaction as of today.
It is a dozen years since I bought my house in Hampshire. Conveyancing lawyers have just been instructed on the sale but I can't track down my title documents. Is this a problem?
Don’t worry too much. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be kept by your lender or they could be in the possession of the lawyers who acted in your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Hampshire relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.
A friend advised me that if I am purchasing in Hampshire I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?
A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Hampshire conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and detailing significant information about Hampshire around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Hampshire Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Hampshire Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Hampshire.
How does conveyancing in Hampshire differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Hampshire come to us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is completed. This is because new home sellers in Hampshire usually 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 Hampshire or who has acted in the same development.
Taking into account that I am about to spend 450k on a terraced house in Hampshire I would like to have a conversation with the lawyer about myhome move ahead of instructing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?
This is something that we encourage - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the solicitor due to be doing your conveyancing in Hampshire.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is unique individual, not a matter reference. The law firms that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are calculated and presented to you for your conveyancing in Hampshire should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.
I've recently bought a leasehold property in Hampshire. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?
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. However, 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 be sure 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 am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in Hampshire, conveyancing formalities finalised August 2003. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Hampshire with an extended lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease ends on 21st October 2078
With 52 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £29,500 and £34,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.