I am obtaining a mortgage with Nat West. I hope to instruct a Licensed Conveyancer in New Milton. Does the Nat West Conveyancing panel include Licensed Conveyancers?
The Nat West conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, represented by the Council or Mortgage Lenders or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.
I have 71 years remaining on my lease and require a lease extension for my flat in New Milton. Conveyancing solicitors on the Platform panel can deal with such extensions correct?
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. Platform have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 20/1/2026 the requirements read as follows :
My father pointed out to me me that in buying a property in New Milton there could be a number of restrictions preventing external changes to the property. Is this right?
We are aware of a number of properties in New Milton which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external variations. Part of the conveyancing in New Milton should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
We are getting the release of further monies on our home loan from Leeds Building Society as we want to conduct alterations to our house in New Milton. Are we obliged to choose a local New Milton solicitor on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Leeds Building Society don't usually require a member of their approved list of lawyers to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel.
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Clydesdale. New Milton conveyancing lawyers were selected. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Clydesdale?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Clydesdale conducted the survey? Have you informed Clydesdale as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.
My partner and I are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our property in New Milton and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built on contaminated land. Any high street New Milton lawyer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the buyers are using a nationwide conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in New Milton. We have lived in New Milton for 4 years we know that this is a non issue. Should we contact our local Authority to get clarification that there is no issue.
It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm already. Are they able to advise? You must enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same illness)
I was advised by numerous selling agents in New Milton to find a solicitor on your site. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to market your site rather than another?
We refuse to offer any financial incentive for pointing buyers and sellers our way. We found it would be just too difficult a fee because members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.
I am looking at a two flats in New Milton which have approximately 50 years unexpired on the lease term. Will this present a problem?
There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in New Milton is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the salability of the property. For most buyers and lenders, leases with less than eighty years become less and less marketable. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a property with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with New Milton conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.
New Milton Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should consider before buying
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Many New Milton leasehold flats will have a service charge for the upkeep of the block invoiced on behalf of the landlord. Where you acquire the property you will have to pay this amount, usually in instalments during the year. This could differ from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common grounds. There will also be a ground rent to be met yearly, this is usually not a significant figure, say about £50-£100 but you should to check it because sometimes it could be many hundreds of pounds. How is the lease structured? It would be sensible to discover as much as you can about the managing agents as they can either make life much easier or problematic. As the owner of a leasehold property you are often at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to daily issues like the tidiness of the communal areas. Ask other tenants whether they are happy with them. Finally, investigate as to the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and specifically what you get for your money.