It is a dozen years since I purchased my house in Horwich. Conveyancing lawyers have now been appointed on the sale but I can't find my deeds. Is this a problem?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly there is a chance that the deeds will be kept by the mortgage company or they could be in the possession of the lawyers who oversaw your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the land will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors procuring current official copies of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Horwich relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is unregistered it is more of a problem but is not insurmountable.
I am about to put an offer on a leasehold property in Horwich. The selling agents tell me that it is the norm for flats in Horwich to have less than 75 years remaining. I am expecting a mortgage with Tesco Bank. Is this going to be acceptable if the lease has 72 years unexpired.
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. Tesco Bank have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 27/9/2025 the requirements read as follows :
We are due to move house in October. Will my conveyancing solicitor update the removal company on the completion day. On a separate note, can you suggest a removal company in Horwich. Conveyancing solicitor was found before I stumbled across this website.
On the day of completion you will need to pick up the house keys from the selling agent however this should only take place after the sellers lawyers confirm to the agent that they have the completion monies and the keys can be given over. After that you can advise the removal company that they can start moving you in. As a matter of policy we do not suggest a specific removal organisation but can help you choose a conveyancing in Horwich or a solicitor with expertise in conveyancing in Horwich.
When it comes to lenders such as Skipton, do Horwich conveyancing practitioners have to pay an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are unaware of any lender fees to register on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.
We had appointed conveyancers with offices in Horwich on the Santander solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a further fee for the legal aspects of the Santander mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Santander?
As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your property lawyer may levy a fee for this. The charge is not dictated by Santander but by your Horwich lawyer. Numerous firms on the Santander panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but plenty of firms incorporate it on their overall fee.
I have a terraced Edwardian property in Horwich. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Skipton Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same property. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??
You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Horwich and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also check the situation with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.
Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Horwich in advance of instructing lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the house. Our surveyor advised that some mortgage companies tend not give a loan on such a home.
It varies from the lender to lender. HSBC has different requirements from Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can check via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Horwich. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Horwich to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.
I am looking at a couple of flats in Horwich both have approximately 50 years remaining on the lease term. Will this present a problem?
A lease is a right to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As the lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease deteriorates and results in it becoming more expensive to extend the lease. This is why it is advisable to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on such properties. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We advise that you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena.
I purchased a leasehold flat in Horwich, conveyancing having been completed 8 years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding properties in Horwich with an extended lease are worth £191,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2078
You have 53 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £27,600 and £31,800 as well as legals.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.