My fiancee and I are acquiring our first property. Our solicitor has calledto enquire if we want to purchase extra conveyancing searches. We are really unsure what's needed for conveyancing in Northallerton
The scope of Northallerton conveyancing searches should be dictated primarily on the premises, the location, the probability of any of these risks, your familiarity of the area and risks, your overall attitude to risk. What is important is that you adequately appreciate what information each search could provide. Then you can decide if you personally think you need that search. Should you be uncertain, ask the conveyancing practitioner to provide guidance.
I have 70 years left on my lease and need a lease extension for my apartment in Northallerton. Conveyancing solicitors on the Nationwide Building Society panel can deal with such extensions right?
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 11/2/2026 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.
Me and my partner are buying a property in Northallerton. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a solicitor? On completion day we have to deposit our life savings into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our money?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
My husband and I have arranged a further advance on our mortgage from Leeds Building Society as we wish to conduct alterations to our house in Northallerton. Do we need to appoint a nearby Northallerton solicitor on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?
Leeds Building Society do not ordinarily appoint a member of their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Leeds Building Society panel.
I am purchasing a property in Northallerton. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Nationwide be concerned?
Given that your lender is Nationwide your lawyer must follow the conveyancing instructions contained in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Nationwide. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to Nationwide where a lease does not satisfy these conditions. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not restricted to Northallerton.
Should my conveyancer be making enquiries regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Northallerton.
Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers specialising in conveyancing in Northallerton. Plenty of people will acquire a house in Northallerton, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable insurance cover, or dispose of the property. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.
Lawyers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a numerous searches that can be carried out by the purchaser or by their solicitors which will figure out the risks in Northallerton. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms supplied to a buyer’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) contains a usual inquiry of the vendor to determine if the premises has historically flooded. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not notified by the vendor, then a buyer could issue a claim for damages as a result of such an incorrect answer. A buyer’s solicitors may also order an enviro search. This should indicate if there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries should be conducted.
I bought my house on 16 July and my personal details is yet to be on the land registry website. Should I be concerned? My conveyancing solicitor in Northallerton expressed confidence that it will be formalised inside ten days. Are transfers in Northallerton uniquely lengthy to register?
As far as conveyancing in Northallerton is concerned, registration is no quicker or slower than anywhere else in the country. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can vary subject to the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry have to notify any interested parties. At present approximately three quarters of such applications are fully dealt with within two weeks but occasionally there can be extensive hold-ups. Registration occurs after the purchaser has moved in to the premises so an expedited registration is not usually an essential issue but where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your solicitor can contact the land registry and explain the circumstances.
I today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Northallerton. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?
The majority of houses in Northallerton are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Northallerton in which case you should be shopping around for a Northallerton conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the freeholder’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer should advise you fully on all the issues.
Northallerton Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries before buying
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The majority of Northallerton leasehold apartments will have a service bill for maintenance of the building levied on behalf of the freeholder. If you acquire the property you will have to meet this charge, normally in instalments throughout the year. This can vary from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common areas. In all likelihood there will be a ground rent to be met annual, normally this is not a exorbitant amount, say about £50-£100 but you need to enquire it because occasionally it can be prohibitively expensive. You should be aware that where the lease has fewer than eighty years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the apartment. It is worth checking with your bank that they are willing to to proceed given the lease term. A short lease means that you will probably need a lease extension at some point and you need to have some idea of what this would cost. Remember, in most cases you would need to own the residence for two years before you are entitled to carry out a lease extension. How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their maintenance charge payments?