I am about to put a bid on a leasehold apartment in Heston. The estate agents say that it is usual for flats in Heston to have less than 75 years unexpired on the lease. I am obtaining a mortgage with Bank of Ireland. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has 69 years remaining.
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. Bank of Ireland have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 28/9/2025 the requirements read as follows :
We are aiming to move home in December. Will my conveyancing solicitor update the removal company on the day of completion. Incidentally, can you recommend a removal company in Heston. Conveyancing solicitor was organised prior to coming across this site.
On the afternoon of completion you will need to pick up the keys from your estate agent however this should only be done after the vendors lawyers advise the agent that they have the completion monies and the keys can be passed over. Subsequently you will need to inform the removal company that they can start moving you in. We are not in a position to recommend a specific removal company but can assist you in finding a conveyancing in Heston or a solicitor with expertise in conveyancing in Heston.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Heston. I have a mortgage offer with Santander. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Santander, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Santander conveyancing panel.
The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Heston. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I would like to complain about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?
Most lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.
five months have gone by since my purchase conveyancing in Heston concluded. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £160,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the residence from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
I am looking for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one near me in Heston I like with open areas and station nearby, however it's only got 49 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Heston for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?
If you need a home loan the shortness of the lease may be problematic. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this.
I was advised by a number of selling agents in Heston to find a solicitor on your site. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to market your lawyers over and above alternative conveyancing organisations?
We don’t offer any financial incentive for directing people in our direction. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission because a client could think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.
My husband and I are novice buyers - agreed a price, but the estate agent informed us that the owners will only go ahead if we appoint their recommended conveyancers as they want a ‘quick sale’. My instinct tells me that we should use a family conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Heston
We suspect that the owner is not behind this demand. Should the owner want ‘a quick sale', turning down a genuine purchaser is counter productive. Bypass the agents and go straight to the owners and make sure they understand (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances in place © you do not need to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you will continue to appoint your own,trusted Heston conveyancing solicitors - rather thanthose that will give their negotiator at the agency a referral fee or hit his conveyancing figures pre-set by HQ.