About to place a bid on a leasehold apartment in Swanscombe. The selling agents assure me that it is usual for flats in Swanscombe to have less than 75 years remaining. I am expecting a mortgage with Virgin. Is this going to be a problem if the lease has 69 years remaining.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are securing a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Virgin have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 24/9/2026 the requirements read as follows :
A friend informed me that in buying a property in Swanscombe there may be a number of restrictions as to what one can do in terms of external changes to the property. Is this right?
We are aware of a number of properties in Swanscombe which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Swanscombe should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from UBS as we want to carry out improvements to our home in Swanscombe. Are we obliged to select a local Swanscombe solicitor on the UBS conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
UBS do not ordinarily require a member of their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the UBS list.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Swanscombe off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with HSBC. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have 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 HSBC, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the HSBC conveyancing panel.
I'm buying my first flat in Swanscombe benefiting from help to buy. The sellers refused to move on the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The sale representative suggested that I not disclose to my lawyer about this deal as it would jeopardize my mortgage with the lender. Should I keep quiet?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the UK Finance website. UK Finance form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on a fortnight ago in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Swanscombe is the location of the property. Is there any guidance you can give?
Flying freeholds in Swanscombe are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Swanscombe you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Swanscombe may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.
Are there any apps to help locate a Swanscombe solicitor on the Yorkshire Building Society conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am willing to travel upto 10kilometers to meet the conveyancer.
Feel free to make use of the tool on this page. Please pick a lender and your location and you will see a number of Swanscombe conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have listed some Swanscombe conveyancing firms at the bottom of this page and you can contact them to see if they are on the Yorkshire Building Society approved list
What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Swanscombe conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?
If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Swanscombe conveyancing practice) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Swanscombe conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be helpful:
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What are the costs for lease extension work? Can they put you in touch with clients in Swanscombe who can give a testimonial?
Having spent months of dialogue we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Swanscombe. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?
Where there is a missing landlord or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to arrive at the sum to be paid.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Swanscombe property is Various @ Colombus Square in January 2012. the Tribunal calculated the premiums to be paid for new leases for each of the flats in Mariners Walk to be £3822 and the premium to be paid for the new lease of 2 Knights Court to be £4439. This case related to 13 flats. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 76 years.