Can you help? My Shenley Church End lawyer is informing me me that she is duty bound toapply for Shenley Church End conveyancing searches asthe firm are on the HSBCconveyancing panel. Is this really necessary?
Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. As you are obtaining a mortgage with a mortgage company your lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your conveyancer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your lender’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook conditions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Shenley Church End conveyancing searches.
I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Shenley Church End. My lender is Virgin
Virgin have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 8/2/2026, the requirements read as follows :
Just had an offer accepted on a new build flat in Shenley Church End. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.
Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Shenley Church End
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Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? 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 a car parking plan. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants.
I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and identified one round the corner in Shenley Church End I like with amenity areas and station in the vicinity, however it only has 61 years on the lease. There is not much else in Shenley Church End for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?
If you need a mortgage that many years will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for at least twenty four months you can request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.
Are there common deficiencies that you witness in leases for Shenley Church End properties?
There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Shenley Church End. All leases are individual and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain sections are missing. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:
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Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
You will encounter a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Yorkshire Building Society, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, and Aldermore all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the buyer to withdraw.
Leasehold Conveyancing in Shenley Church End - Sample of Questions you should ask before buying
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Be sure to find out if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. By way of example it is reasonably common in Shenley Church End leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in Shenley Church End. If you like the propertyin Shenley Church End yet your cat can’t move with you then you have a very hard decision. Is the freehold reversion owned collectively by the tenants?
I have today placed an offer on an apartment in Shenley Church End and the estate agent that we are using recommended his conveyancing practitioner. They quoted a thousand pounds including VAT and disbursements. Does this sound expensive?
Don't just go on 1 estimate. One should seek like-for-like quotes for your conveyancing in Shenley Church End. Then select one that you are comfortable with and crucially, is on the approved panel of the lender that you have applied for a mortgage from.