Just contacted my conveyancing lawyer in North Wembley who completed the legal work two years ago and wanted a conveyancing costs illustration based on an identical type of house sale & purchase (a leasehold residence and a freehold premises) of almost identical values with a loan from Platform Home Loans Ltd. I am now being charged double. Am I right to be tempted to shop around for an alternative firm of conveyancing solicitor?
The quote is fractionally on the steep side. If you are happy to expend time comparing quotes you might get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by perhaps £125. That being said, if you were content with the assistance the firm offered you mightcome to regret choosing an an unknown lawyer. Remember to check that the solicitor can represent Platform Home Loans Ltd. You can employ our search tool to find a North Wembley conveyancing firm on the Platform Home Loans Ltd approved list of lawyers, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in North Wembley.
Do the conveyancing solicitors via your comparison service execute conveyancing in North Wembley by way of an attended exchange?
There are a few conveyancing specialists who can conduct 24hr exchanges. Do contact us to obtain a costs illustration and details as to dates.
About to place an offer on a leasehold property in North Wembley. The selling agents tell me that it is usual for flats in North Wembley to have less than 75 years remaining. I am obtaining a mortgage with The Mortgage Works. Is this going to be a problem if the lease has 72 years left.
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. The Mortgage Works have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 22/6/2026 the requirements read as follows :
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
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 70 years
- 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 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 70 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 1.0% 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
- 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
- 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 reviewed and altered on any review basis or methodology
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 1.0% 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 the 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 have been told that property searches are the main cause of stalling in North Wembley house deals. Is there any truth in this?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the common causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Searches are unlikely to feature in any holding up conveyancing in North Wembley.
Are there any apps to help identify a North Wembley law firm on the Barclays conveyancing panel? I have wheels and am willing to travel upto 10miles to meet the lawyer.
Feel free to make use of the search on this website. Please choose the mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of North Wembley conveyancing lawyers locally. We have detailed some North Wembley conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can call them to check whether they are on the Barclays member panel
I am hoping to exchange soon on a ground floor flat in North Wembley. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they report fully on Monday. What should I be looking out for?
Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in North Wembley should include some of the following:
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You should know whether the lease permits you to add or improve aspects of the flat- you must know whether any restrictions applies to all alterations or limited to structural alteration, and whether licences for alterations is mandated necessary Whether your lease caters for for a slush account for major repairs? Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice? Does the lease prohibit wood flooring? The total extent of the demise. This will be the property itself but might include a attic or basement if relevant.
I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without getting anywhere. Can a leaseholder apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a North Wembley conveyancing firm to assist?
Where there is a missing landlord or where there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant legislation it is possible to make an application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to arrive at the premium.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a North Wembley flat is Ground Floor Flat 79 London Road in September 2012. the Tribunal held that the premium payable for the lease extension should be £7,636 This case related to 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 74 years.