We were just about to exchange contracts for a semi detached house in Tewkesbury. We have hit a snag. The mortgage offer with Nottingham Building Society expires on 1/12/2025 but the owners are suggesting a completion date of 3/12/2025. Is it possible to extend the mortgage offer?
The person best placed to address this question is your lawyer who should calculate if they corresponding with the lender, seller’s representatives, selling agents or indeed all three given what has happend in your house move as of today.
Having spent time researching online forums for a cheap lawyer in Tewkesbury, most advise that I must look for a CQS kitemarked lawyer. Can you explain what CQS is?
The Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme is the recognised quality mark for legal experts in the legal transfer of properties, trusted by some of the UK's leading mortgage companies. Four years ago the Conveyancing Quality Scheme was officially recognised by the Legal Ombudsman. CQS is not a scheme offered by the Council of Licensed Conveyancing. Tewkesbury is one of the numerous areas in England and Wales where there are Accredited solicitors.
We were going to get a AIP from Aldermore this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Aldermore recommend any Tewkesbury solicitors on the Aldermore conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?
You will need to appoint Tewkesbury solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Aldermore through the process.
I have a mortgage with Santander for my property in Tewkesbury. Conveyancing has been completed some time ago. In the event that I decide to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Santander?
Your original mortgage agreement with Santander will provide that you need their approval in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Santander’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Santander directly. You need not do this via a Santander conveyancing panel lawyer.
I had an offer accepted on a house in Tewkesbury on 8/8/2025, valuation was booked five days after, received a clean bill of health. Conveyancer instructed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to UBS and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the UBS conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for UBS to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the UBS conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
In my capacity as executor for the estate of my father I am selling a house in Cardiff but reside in Tewkesbury. My conveyancer (who is 235 miles from mehas requested that I execute a statutory declaration prior to the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing lawyer in Tewkesbury to attest this legal document for me?
strictly speaking you are not likely to need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or solicitor will do regardless of whether they are based in Tewkesbury
Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Tewkesbury with the intention of speeding up the sale process?
- A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Tewkesbury can be bypassed if you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ conveyancers. A minority of Tewkesbury leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers. You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be advisable double-check by asking your conveyancers. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is less than 80 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Tewkesbury state that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord approving such alterations. Should you fail to have the paperwork to hand do not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in advance.
Tewkesbury Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries before buying
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It is important to be aware whether window replacement or some other significant cost is anticipated that will be shared amongst the leaseholders and could well dramatically increase the the service fees or result in a one time invoice. Is there a share of the freehold?
My boyfriend is buying a garden flat in Tewkesbury. He has received an estimate by the lawyer connected to the selling agents and it came to £1156 . It was 9 years ago since I sold and bought a property and the fee was £495. Have fees really escalated to that extent?
We would recommend that you call two or three local Tewkesbury conveyancing firms seeking estimates. You should base your decision not only on cost, but on promptness and on how comprehensive the reply was.