I am hoping to receive a mortgage with Nat West. I would like to instruct a Licensed Conveyancer in Washwood Heath. Does the Nat West Conveyancing panel include conveyancers regulated by the CLC?
The Nat West approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders, associated to the Council or Mortgage Lenders or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.
I purchased a freehold property in Washwood Heath but still invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in Washwood Heath and has limited impact for conveyancing in Washwood Heath but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.
Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges have existed for hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.
Old rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 will be dispensed with completely.
About to place an offer on a leasehold flat in Washwood Heath. The selling agents assure me that it is normal for flats in Washwood Heath to have less than 75 years left on the lease. I am taking out a mortgage with Virgin. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has 70 years remaining.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting 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 27/5/2025 the requirements read as follows :
When it comes to mortgage companies such as Bank of Ireland, do Washwood Heath conveyancing practitioners incur a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are unaware of any lender fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.
My partner and I have organised a further advance on our home loan from Lloyds as we wish to carry out improvements to our property in Washwood Heath. Do we need to choose a nearby Washwood Heath solicitor on the Lloyds conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Lloyds don't usually appoint a member of their approved list of lawyers to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Lloyds conveyancing panel.
We have agreed to purchase a house in Washwood Heath. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Virgin Money have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Virgin Money your lawyer must comply with the formal requirements set out in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Virgin Money. The CML Handbook contains minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Virgin Money where a lease fails to meet these requirements. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not isolated to Washwood Heath.
Me and my brother purchased a renovated Edwardian property in Washwood Heath. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Bank of Ireland. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Washwood Heath and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the position with your conveyancing lawyer who completed the work.
I am buying a new build house in Washwood Heath with a loan from Coventry Building Society. The builders would not budge the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The sale representative advised me not inform my lawyer about the side-deal as it may affect my loan with the bank. Is this normal?.
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 CML website. CML 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.