I am getting a mortgage offer from Halifax. My intention is to enlist the help of a Licensed Conveyancer in Liss. Does the Halifax Solicitor panel include conveyancers regulated by the CLC?
The Halifax conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, represented by the CML or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.
My partner and I are acquiring a newly built duplex in Liss and my conveyancer is informing me that she has to the lender to reveal incentives from the builder. I am on a tight deadline to exchange and I would rather not delay matters. Is my lawyer right?
You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your conveyancing practitioner. A precondition to being on a lender panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
Do lenders provide you with an approved list of Liss conveyancing solicitors? How do you know who is on the Skipton conveyancing panel?
Liss conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Skipton conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Skipton directly.
About to place a bid on a leasehold apartment in Liss. The estate agents assure me that it is normal for flats in Liss to have less than 75 years unexpired on the lease. I am obtaining a loan with Nationwide Building Society. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has 70 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. Nationwide Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 14/4/2025 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.
I am due to move house in July. Should my conveyancing solicitor call the removal company on the completion day. On a separate note, can you suggest a removal company in Liss. Conveyancing solicitor was found before I stumbled across your site.
On the day of completion you will need to pick up the keys from the selling agent but this can only take place once the vendors solicitors inform the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be given over. You can inform the removal men that they can start moving you in. As a matter of policy we do not recommend a particular removal company but can assist you in choosing a conveyancing in Liss or a lawyer that specialises in conveyancing in Liss.
I'm the only beneficiary of my late father’s will and I have everything in my name alone, including the my former home in Liss. The Liss property was put into my name in March. I plan to dispose of the house. I do know about the Mortgage Lenders six month 'rule', which means that my property ownership may be regarded the same way as though I had purchased the house in March. Is the property unsalable for six months?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook requires conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you could be caught by that. Most banks would take a practical view as this clause principally exists to identify the purchase and immediately sell or the wholesaling and assigning of property.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Liss. I have a mortgage offer with TSB. Conveyancing is new to me. 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 TSB, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the TSB conveyancing panel.
Planning to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Liss. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they report fully next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?
Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Liss should include some of the following:
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Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice? How long the lease is. You should receive guidance as what happens when the lease ends, and aware of the importance of the 80 year mark You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions Who has the liability for repairing the window frames
Liss Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing
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What is the name of the managing agents? Is anyone aware of any major works in the planning that will add a premium to the service fees? Please note that where the lease has no more than eighty years it will affect the marketability of the property. It is worth checking with your mortgage company that they are willing to lend given the lease term. A short lease means that you will probably have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of what this will be. For most Lisslease extensions you would be be obliged to have owned the residence for 24 months in order to be eligible to extend the lease.