We are purchasing a 2 bedroom apartment in Ravenscourt Park with a mortgage. We have a Ravenscourt Park lawyer, but the bank says she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the mortgage company panel conveyancing practices or retain our Ravenscourt Park property lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to represent them. This feels very unfair; can we not require that the lender use our Ravenscourt Park conveyancing practitioner ?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your Ravenscourt Park conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Ravenscourt Park. My lender is Nationwide Building Society
Nationwide Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 23/2/2026, the requirements read as follows :
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified as part of conveyancing in Ravenscourt Park?
Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Ravenscourt Park. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
Is it possible to swap conveyancer as I need to retain one who is on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing list. I was using a local conveyancing solicitor in Ravenscourt Park round the corner but she is not approved by Birmingham Midshires
It would be our pleasure to assist you find a conveyancing solicitor in Ravenscourt Park on the Birmingham Midshires panel. Please note that the solicitors that we on the directory do not pay us fee if you instruct them and are authorised and regulated by the SRA who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Ravenscourt Park. In utilising the find a conveyancing solicitor tool on this website, you can scrutinise fees for conveyancing solicitors in Ravenscourt Park and beyond.
My husband and I are first time buyers - agreed a price, yet the estate agent informed us that the seller will only go ahead if we instruct their preferred lawyers as they are insisting on an ‘expedited deal’. My instinct tells me that we should use a family solicitor used to conveyancing in Ravenscourt Park
It is improbable the owners are behind this. If they desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a motivated purchaser is is going to put the whole deal at risk. Try to communicate with the sellers directly and explain that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you do not need to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you will continue to appoint your own,trusted Ravenscourt Park conveyancing lawyers - not the ones that will give the estate agent a commission or achieve conveyancing thresholds pre-set by senior management.
I am looking at a two maisonettes in Ravenscourt Park both have about forty five years remaining on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?
There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Ravenscourt Park is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the salability of the premises. The majority of purchasers and lenders, leases with less than 75 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 residence 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 Ravenscourt Park 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. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new 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.
I am the proprietor of a second floor flat in Ravenscourt Park. In the absence of agreement between myself and the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount payable for a lease extension?
in cases where there is a absentee landlord or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the LVT to judgment on the amount due.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Ravenscourt Park flat is 19 Crisp Road in June 2009. Following a vesting order (Under section 26 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993) The tribunal determined that the premium payable for the acquisition of the freehold was £33,756,apportioned as to£12,285 for the lower at and £21,471for the upper fat. This case affected 2 flats. The unexpired term was 68.32 years.