My IFA says he needs my Sittingbourne solicitor’s panel member for the Santander conveyancing panel. What is the best way to obtain this. I have contacted my local Sittingbourne office but they have not got back to me yet.
Have you tried contacting your Sittingbourne lawyer about this?. Most Sittingbourne law practices will keep a file or database of lender panel information which would include, if applicable, their conveyancing panel details for each lender.
I am assisting my sister sell her flat in Sittingbourne. Will the conveyancing solicitor commission the EPC or it is for me to coordinate?
Following the abolition of Home Information Packs, EPC’s remained a compulsory component of moving property. An EPC needs to be to hand before the property is put on the market. This is not something that conveyancers normally organise. If you are using a Sittingbourne conveyancing practitioner they may be able to arrange EPC’s due to their contacts with long established Sittingbourne assessors
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Sittingbourne. I have a mortgage agreed with Clydesdale. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Clydesdale, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel.
I had an offer accepted on a property in Sittingbourne on 23/7/2025, valuation was booked five days later, received a clean bill of health. Conveyancer instructed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Santander and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel. Are Santander entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Santander to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Santander conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
I need some quick conveyancing in Sittingbourne as I am under an ultimatum to sign on the dotted line within one month. Fortunately I do not require a mortgage. Can I decline from having conveyancing searches to save fees and time?
If.Given you are are a cash buyer you are at free not to do searches although no lawyer would suggest that you don't. With lots of history conveyancing in Sittingbourne the following are instances of what can appear and therefore impact future saleability: Refused Planning Applications, Overdue Fees, Overdue Grants, Railway Schemes,...
Am I right to be wary about estate agents that I am dealing with are suggesting a factory type conveyancing firm as opposed to a local Sittingbourne conveyancing company?
As is the case with many service providers, often recommendations from connections can be extremely useful or valuable. Nevertheless there are lots of players in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, mortgage brokers and banks may suggest conveyancers to appoint. Sometimes these solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but sometimes there might be a commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You have the right to choose your preferred lawyer. You need to be aware that many banks specify a panel list of conveyancers you are obliged to use for the lender aspect of your house move.
I am a negotiator for a busy estate agency in Sittingbourne where we see a few flat sales jeopardised due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received inconsistent advice from local Sittingbourne conveyancing solicitors. Could you shed some light as to whether the owner of a flat can commence the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?
As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.
An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.
Leasehold Conveyancing in Sittingbourne - A selection of Queries before Purchasing
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How is the lease structured? Please note that where the lease has no more than 80 years it will affect the marketability of the apartment. Check with your mortgage company that they are happy with residual term of the lease. A short lease means that you will most likely require a lease extension at some point and it is worth finding out what this would cost. For most Sittingbournelease extensions you would be required to have been the owner of the property for two years in order to be eligible to extend the lease. The majority of Sittingbourne leasehold properties will be liable to pay a service bill for maintenance of the building set on behalf of the management company. Should you purchase the property you will have to pay this liability, usually quarterly throughout the year. This could vary from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built blocks. In all probability there will be a ground rent to be met annual, this is usually not a large amount, say around £50-£100 but you should to enquire as occasionally it could be many hundreds of pounds.
I've found a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Sittingbourne. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?
Most houses in Sittingbourne are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Sittingbourne in which case you should be shopping around for a Sittingbourne 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. As a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer should report to you on the legal implications.