My mortgage broker says he needs my Towcester law firm’s panel reference for the HSBC conveyancing panel. Can you suggest how I find this out. I have called my local Towcester branch but they don't know it.
Have you tried calling your Towcester conveyancer about this?. Most Towcester law practices will keep a file or database of lender panel information which would include, if applicable, their conveyancing panel details for each mortgage company.
At what point can the exchange of contracts occur in purchase conveyancing in Towcester and do I need to be at the conveyancers office?
If you are in close proximity to our conveyancing solicitors in Towcester you are invited in to sign the paperwork. That being said, the law practices we recommend offer countrywide coverage for conveyancing and give just as detailed and professional a job for you when dealing with you electronically. The executing of the contract is not when everything is set in stone. A signed contract is necessary for the firm to address the formalities when the time is right, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The exchange process is is usually a five minute process, although where a lengthy "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Towcester)to be in the office at the appropriate time.
I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Towcester. My lender is Bank of Ireland
Bank of Ireland have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 3/6/2025, the requirements read as follows :
A friend advised me that if I am buying in Towcester I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
This is a search is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Towcester conveyancing searches. It is a large document of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out important information about Towcester around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Towcester.
I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Towcester I like with amenity areas and station in the vicinity, however it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Towcester suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?
If you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease may be an issue. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.
I only have 62 years unexpired on my lease in Towcester. I now want to get lease extension but my landlord is missing. What are my options?
On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to track down the landlord. For most situations an enquiry agent would be useful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on proving the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Towcester.
I acquired a 2 bed flat in Towcester, conveyancing was carried out 5 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Equivalent flats in Towcester with a long lease are worth £260,000. The ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease ends on 21st October 2099
With 74 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £8,600 and £9,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure 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 considered and you obviously 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.