We are purchasing a 1 bedroom flat in Salford with a mortgage. We have a Salford solicitor, however the bank says she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the lender panel conveyancing practices or keep our Salford property lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
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. Another option that might be available is for your Salford conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
We're in Salford, First timers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is Barclays , and our solicitor is on the Barclays conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the Barclays conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no property lawyer should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.
Have just purchased a probate house at auction in Salford. Conveyancing is required. What is next?
Given that you have now to all intents and purposes signed on the dotted line you will need to appoint a conveyancing lawyer quickly as you will have a tight a drop dead date to complete the deal. Every auction property will ordinarily have an associated legal set of papers. This will include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. If you have purchased leasehold premises the conveyancing papers may include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing paperwork relating to leasehold premises. You should hand this to the solicitor working for you ASAP. Do make sure that your finances are organised to complete on the date specified in the contract.
I had an offer accepted on a property in Salford on 22/12/2025, valuation was booked 3 days later, all came back fine. Property lawyer instructed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Co-operative and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Co-operative to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Our offer on a detached house in Salford has been agreed to, but there is a chain. The sellers have put an offer on a property, but it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. I have instructed a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Salford. What should be my next step? At what stage should I apply for the mortgage with Yorkshire BS?
It is normal to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses too early (mortgage application is in the region of £1k, then valuation, Salford conveyancing search charges, etc). The first thing to do is check that your property lawyer is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. As to the subsequent steps this very much dictated by the specifics of your transaction, attraction to this property and on the state of the market. During a rising market the majority of buyers will apply for a home loan with Yorkshire BS and arrange for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they request their conveyancer to proceed with searches.
About to purchase a new build flat in Salford. 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 conveyancing.
Here is a sample of a few leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Salford
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Please supply a car parking plan. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. 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. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme.
I am attracted to a couple of apartments in Salford which have about fifty years remaining on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?
A lease is a right to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As a lease shortens the saleability of the lease deteriorates and it becomes more expensive to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is advisable to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena.
I acquired a leasehold flat in Salford, conveyancing was carried out July 1995. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar flats in Salford with a long lease are worth £216,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease runs out on 21st October 2095
With just 69 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.
I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Salford. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Salford ?
Most houses in Salford are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Salford so you should seriously consider looking for a Salford conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the landlord’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will appraise you on the various issues.