Recently been in touch with my conveyancing lawyer in Rottingdean who completed the legal work 18 months ago requesting a conveyancing costs illustration based on the same type of house sale & purchase (a leasehold residence and a freehold property) of similar values with a home loan from National Westminster Bank. I am now being charged double. Should I look for an alternative conveyancer?
The estimate fees are a little high. If you you were to look around you might reduce the fees slightly by say £125. That being said, assuming were content with the service the firm offered you couldcome to regret opting for an a cheaper conveyancer. Don't forget to be sure that the firm can act for National Westminster Bank. You can make use of our search tool to choose a Rottingdean conveyancing firm on the National Westminster Bank approved list of lawyers, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Rottingdean.
About to place an offer on a leasehold property in Rottingdean. The estate agents assure me that it is usual for flats in Rottingdean to have less than 75 years remaining. I am obtaining a mortgage with Chelsea Building Society. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has 69 years left.
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. Chelsea Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 7/9/2026 the requirements read as follows :
When it comes to lenders such as Coventry BS, do Rottingdean property lawyers have to pay a yearly amount to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are not aware of any mortgage company fees to register on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.
I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in December 2007, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Bank of Ireland are being a right pain. The Rottingdean solicitor who is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Bank of Ireland are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Bank of Ireland have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Bank of Ireland have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Bank of Ireland may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
Having read lots of house buying guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Rottingdean solicitor - who is on the UBS conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
UBS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually UBS 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 Rottingdean 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.
It has been 3 months since my purchase conveyancing in Rottingdean took place. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £160,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the property from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £305k and identified one round the corner in Rottingdean I like with amenity areas and station nearby, the downside is that it only has 51 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Rottingdean suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?
Should you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you could request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.
Are there any distinct benefits to selecting a local solicitor in Rottingdean
Many purchasers and sellers in Rottingdean choose a nearby high street property lawyer so that they can pop into the lawyer’s offices just in case they have concerns, and to execute paperwork rather than depending on the post.
There is a distinct benefit when using a property lawyer local to the house you are hoping to purchase, due to the familiarity of the area and potential local issues - nevertheless this is debatable. Most conveyancers conduct their work online and may be any place in the world.