We are about to exchange contracts for a freehold house in Handsworth. We have hit a snag. The loan offer with Barclays Direct runs out on 31/7/2025 but the owners are suggesting a completion date of 4/8/2025. Can one prolong the loan offer?
The person best placed to deal with your question is your lawyer who will assess if he or she is corresponding with the lender, vendor’s conveyancers, estate agents or conceivably all three given the history of your transaction to date.
It is a dozen years since I bought my property in Handsworth. Conveyancing lawyers have now been instructed on the sale but I can't find my title documents. Is this a major issue?
Don’t worry too much. First there is a chance that the deeds will be with your lender or they may still be with the conveyancers who acted in your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the land will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Handsworth involves registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
I have 71 years unexpired on my lease and require a lease extension for my flat in Handsworth. Conveyancing solicitors on the Tesco Bank panel can deal with such extensions correct?
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. Tesco Bank have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 31/5/2025 the requirements read as follows :
Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal impending roadworks that may impact a commercial premises in Handsworth?
Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Handsworth will execute a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers invest in looking into accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Handsworth. The search result provides definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Handsworth.
For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Handsworth it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can result in delays to Handsworth commercial conveyancing deals as well as pose a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not conducted for residential conveyancing in Handsworth.
Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my garden flat in Handsworth. Conveyancing has not commenced, however I have recently had a yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?
It best that you discharge the maintenance contribution as you normally would given that all ground rent and service charges should be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.
I own a 1st floor flat in Handsworth, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Handsworth with over 90 years remaining are worth £265,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease runs out on 21st October 2101
With 76 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as 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 comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.
I have just found out that one of the partners of the law firm acting on the purchase conveyancing in Handsworth is an aunty of the owners that we are buying from. Is this acceptable?
Provided there is no conflict of interest this is allowable. If you are requiring mortgage finance then the mortgage company may have a say as many lenders have specific instructions on this. For example for RBS - Virgin One as of 31/5/2025, the requirements read as follows :