My husband and I are looking to purchase a flat in Littleover and are in fact using a Littleover conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. Accord Mortgages Ltd have this evening contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Littleover conveyancer is not on their conveyancing panel. Please explain?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Littleover lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
I have 70 years left on my lease and need a lease extension for my flat in Littleover. Conveyancing solicitors on the Platform panel can deal with such extensions right?
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. Platform have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 4/11/2026 the requirements read as follows :
I am assisting my sister sell her flat in Littleover. Will the conveyancing solicitor commission the EPC or do I organise this?
Following the abolition of HIPs, EPC’s was kept a mandatory element of selling a house. An EPC should be to hand in advance of the property being marketed. It is not something that lawyers normally arrange. If you are using a Littleover conveyancing practitioner they might help arrange energy performance certificates due to their relationships with long established local energy assessors
My stepmother informed me that in buying a property in Littleover there may be a number of restrictions preventing external alterations to a property. Is this right?
There are anumerous of properties in Littleover which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Littleover should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in February 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Co-operative are being a right pain. The Littleover solicitor who is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Co-operative are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Co-operative have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Co-operative have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Co-operative may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
Various online forums that I have come across warn that are the primary reason for hinderance in Littleover house deals. Is that correct?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the most frequent causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Local searches are not likely to be the root cause of slowing down conveyancing in Littleover.
Just had an offer accepted on a new build apartment in Littleover. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.
Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Littleover
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Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in last month in what should have been a simple, chain free conveyancing. Littleover is where the house is located. Is there any advice you can give?
Flying freeholds in Littleover are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Littleover you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Littleover may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.