My partner and I are acquiring a leasehold flat in Otford. My Solicitor has never been on on the lender conveyancing list. Am I still permitted to use my Otford conveyancing solicitor even though they are not on the lender panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?
You have a couple of choices available to you here
- Proceed with your chosen Otford solicitor but your bank will undoubtedly instruct a conveyancer on their approved list. The net result is additional charges together with probable interruption.
- Get a fresh conveyancing practitioner to act in the purchase, making sure they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
- Convince your conveyancing practitioner to pull out all the stops to get listed on the lender’s conveyancing panel
Can your site be used to recommend a Conveyancing solicitor in Otford even if I’m not purchasing or selling a house, for instance if I intend to buy an office in Otford with a mortgage from Aldermore?
The service is mainly there to select residential conveyancing solicitors in Otford but we have listed at the end of this page a selection of Otford commercial conveyancing firms. You should enquire with the firm directly to see if they can also act for Aldermore
I have 71 years remaining on my lease and require a lease extension for my flat in Otford. 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 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 31/10/2025 the requirements read as follows :
I had a mortgage agreed in principle with HSBC. Otford conveyancing lawyers are appointed. How long does it take for HSBC to forward the offer to the conveyancer?
There is no definitive answer here. Have HSBC done the survey? Have you informed HSBC as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the HSBC conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.
Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Otford. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Department at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are resolved effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.
After shopping around on the internet I have found a Otford conveyancer having made sure that they are on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
Leeds Building Society will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Leeds Building Society will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Otford surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
I used Action Conveyancing a few years ago for my conveyancing in Otford. I now require my papers however the law firm has closed. What do I do?
You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Otford of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I am attracted to a two flats in Otford both have approximately 50 years remaining on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?
There are plenty of short leases in Otford. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a period of time. As a lease shortens the saleability of the lease deteriorates and results in it becoming more expensive to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is advisable to extend the lease term. It is often difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this field.
I am the registered owner of a garden flat in Otford, conveyancing formalities finalised 9 years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar properties in Otford with over 90 years remaining are worth £206,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2091
With just 66 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £11,400 and £13,200 plus costs.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.