My wife and I are planning to purchase a property in Ravensthorpe and are in fact using a Ravensthorpe conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our conveyancer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. HSBC Bank have this afternoon contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Ravensthorpe lawyer is not on their approved list of lawyers. What do we do from here?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is conventional for the purchasers' lawyers to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Ravensthorpe lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
It is 10 years ago since I purchased my property in Ravensthorpe. Conveyancing solicitors have now been instructed on the sale but I am unable to find my title deeds. Is this a problem?
You need not be too concerned. First there is a chance that the deeds will be kept by the mortgage company or they could be archived with the solicitor who oversaw the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors procuring current official copies of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Ravensthorpe relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your home is not registered it is more tricky but is not insurmountable.
I have Fifty Six years remaining on my lease and need a lease extension for my flat in Ravensthorpe. 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 obtaining 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 19/2/2025 the requirements read as follows :
I have todaybecome aware that Action Conveyancing have been shut down. They carried out my conveyancing in Ravensthorpe for a purchase of a freehold house 9 months ago. How can I establish that my home is registered correctly in the name of the previous owner?
The easiest method to see if the property is in your name, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Ravensthorpe conveyancing specialists.
The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build apartment in Ravensthorpe. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.
Set out below are examples of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Ravensthorpe
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The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision.
I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two flats in Ravensthorpe both have in the region of fifty years left on the leases. Will this present a problem?
There are plenty of short leases in Ravensthorpe. The lease is a right to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease deteriorates and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is advisable to extend the lease term. It is often difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We advise that you get professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this field.
Leasehold Conveyancing in Ravensthorpe - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing
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Please note that where the lease has no more than eighty years it will affect the salability 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 almost definitely need a lease extension at some point and it is worth finding out how much this would cost. For most Ravensthorpelease extensions you would need to own the premises for a couple of years before you are legally able to extend the lease. Can you tell me if there are any major works in the planning that could increase the service fees?