It has come to my attention via my lender that my Sunderland property lawyer is not on the lender Solicitor panel. What can I do to be sure whether this is correct?
Your first step should be to contact your Sunderland conveyancer. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to notify you what has happened. Where they are not on the panel they may be able to suggest a Sunderland conveyancing practice that is on the conveyancing panel for your mortgage company.
In what way does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Sunderland? Why is this being asked of me?
Sunderland conveyancing solicitors and indeed property lawyers throughout the UK have a duty under money laundering regulations to check the ID of any client with a view to ensure that clients are who they say they are.
Conveyancing clients will need to provide two forms of certified ID; proof of ID (typically a Passport or Driving Licence) and proof of address (typically a Bank Statement no older than three months).
Evidence of the origin of monies is also required under the money laundering laws as conveyancers are duty bound to ensure that the money you are using to acquire a property (whether it be the deposit for exchange or the total purchase price where you are buying without a mortgage) has come from legitimate source (such as employment savings) and is not the fruits of criminal activity.
I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Sunderland. My lender is Platform
Platform have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 5/2/2026, the requirements read as follows :
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my home are lost. The conveyancers who conducted the conveyancing in Sunderland 5 years ago are no longer around. What do I do?
Gone are the days when you need to hold title original deeds to evidence that you are the owner of your registered land or property, as the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.
How does conveyancing in Sunderland differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Sunderland come to us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is constructed. This is because builders in Sunderland typically buy the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Sunderland or who has acted in the same development.
What makes a Sunderland lease defective?
There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Sunderland. Most leases are drafted differently and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are wrong. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:
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A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
A defective lease will likely cause issues when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Accord Mortgages Ltd, Skipton Building Society, and Bank of Ireland all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the buyer to pull out.
I acquired a 1 bedroom flat in Sunderland, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent properties in Sunderland with a long lease are worth £181,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2077
With just 51 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £30,400 and £35,200 plus professional fees.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.