My family lawyer has sent a quote for £1350 for fixed fee conveyancing in Heacham. I am hoping to sell a purpose built property for £250,000. Is this overpriced? Is it in excess of what I should be paying for conveyancing in Heacham?
The quote is fractionally on the expensive side. If you shop around you may be able to get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by perhaps £125. On the other hand, you mightcome to rue opting for an a cheaper lawyer. If is important to be sure the solicitor can also act for your bank. Do use our comparison tool to choose a Heacham conveyancing company on the banks conveyancing panel which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Heacham.
About to place an offer on a leasehold flat in Heacham. The property agents assure me that it is the norm for flats in Heacham to have less than 75 years remaining. I am getting a mortgage with Nationwide Building Society. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has 72 years remaining.
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. Nationwide Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 25/2/2026 the requirements read as follows :
- There must be at least 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term (regardless of the length of lease at the start).
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
- Where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat and the unexpired lease term on the offer is 90 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 90 years.
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 55 years
- Unexpired lease term less than 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat
- 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 is 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 55 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% 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 (Minimum 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat)
- 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 (does not apply to Shared Ownership)
- 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 charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis
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% 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 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 bid for a property was accepted at auction in Heacham. Conveyancing is required. What are my next steps?
Having exchanged you must retain a conveyancing lawyer quickly as you are facing a pending a fixed date to complete the conveyancing. Every auction property will have an associated auction pack. This will include most,if not all of the documents that your lawyer will need. In the case of leasehold premises the conveyancing pack should include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing documentation specific to a leasehold property. You should pass this on to your appointed conveyancing solicitor as soon as possible. Do make sure that you have funds organised to complete on the date specified in the contract.
I am aiming to move home in April. Will my conveyancing solicitor communicate with the removal company on the completion day. Incidentally, can you put forward a removal company in Heacham. Conveyancing firm was found before I stumbled across your page.
On the afternoon of completion you will need to pick up the house keys from your selling agent but this can only happen when the sellers solicitors confirm to the agent that the monies to complete are in and the keys can be released. After that you will need to advise the removal company that you are ready to move in. We are not in a position to suggest a specific removal company but can help you locate a conveyancing in Heacham or a firm with expertise in conveyancing in Heacham.
We have agreed to purchase a house in Heacham. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Virgin Money be concerned?
As you are obtaining a mortgage with Virgin Money your lawyer must comply with the formal instructions outlined in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Virgin Money. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook includes minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Virgin Money where a lease does not comply with these conditions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not isolated to Heacham.
What can a local search reveal regarding the house my wife and I buying in Heacham?
Heacham conveyancing often commences with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search company for example Searchflow The local search is essential in every Heacham conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any nasty surprises after you move into your property. The search should reveal information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 topic areas.
Planning to sign contracts shortly on a garden flat in Heacham. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?
Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Heacham should include some of the following:
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Where does the liability rest to repair and maintain the main walls and foundations. It is important that you know who is duty bound to repair and maintenance of every part of the building You should have a good understanding of the insurance requirements What the implications are if you are in breach of your lease terms? The landlord’s rights to access the property. You should be made aware that your landlord has rights of access as well as be informed how much notice must be provided. You need to be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
Leasehold Conveyancing in Heacham - Sample of Queries Prior to buying
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The answer will be helpful as a) areas could cause problems in the block as the common areas may begin to deteriorate where repairs are not paid for b) if the tenants have a dispute with the running of the building you will want to have all the details It would be prudent to discover as much as possible about the company managing the building as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you will be in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to every day issues such as the cleanliness of the communal areas. Ask other tenants what they think of their management. On a final note, be sure you know the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the appropriate party and specifically what it includes. How much is the ground rent and service charge?
To what extent are Heacham conveyancing solicitors duty bound by the Law Society to issue transparent conveyancing costs?
Inbuilt into the Solicitors Code of Conduct are set rules and regulations as to how the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) allow solicitors to publicise their charges to clients.The Law Society have a practice note giving advice on how to publicise transparent charges to avoid breaching any such rule. Practice notes are not legal advice issued by the Law Society and is not to be interpreted as the only standard of good practice a conveyancing solicitor should adhere to. The Practice Note does, nevertheless, constitute the Law Society’s perspective of acceptable practice for publicising conveyancing charges, and accordingly it’s a recommended read for any solicitor or conveyancer in Heacham or or elsewhere in the country.