Our lawyer has uncovered a defect with the lease for the apartment we are purchasing in Whickham. The seller’s lawyers have offered defective title insurance as a solution. We are happy with insurance and will cover the costs. Our conveyancer has advised that he must check that the mortgage company is willing to move forward with this solution. Are we the client or is the bank?
Regardless of the fact that you have a mortgage offer from the lender does not mean to say that the property will meet their conditions for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. You and the bank are the client. These conveyancing instructions must be adhered to.
Can I use your services to locate a Conveyancing solicitor in Whickham even where I’m not purchasing or selling a house, for instance if I wish to acquire an office in Whickham with a loan from Godiva Mortgages Ltd?
Our comparison service is mainly utilised to locate domestic conveyancing solicitors in Whickham but we have recorded towards the end of this page a selection of Whickham commercial conveyancing firms. You will need to make contact with the firm directly to establish if they are also authorised to represent Godiva Mortgages Ltd
I have a mortgage with Virgin Money for my property in Whickham. Conveyancing was finalised months ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Virgin Money?
Your original mortgage agreement with Virgin Money will provide that you need their approval before renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Virgin Money’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will permit you to let 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 Virgin Money directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Virgin Money conveyancing panel firm.
Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Whickham. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?
Almost all banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Team at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.
I had an offer accepted on a property in Whickham on 3/9/2026, valuation was booked 4 days after, received a clean bill of health. Solicitor retained, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Virgin Money and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Virgin Money to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
What does commercial conveyancing in Whickham cover?
Whickham conveyancing for business premises incorporates a broad array of services, offered by qualified solicitors, relating to business premises. For instance, this type of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more commonly, the transfer of existing business tenancies or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial loans and the termination of tenancies.
Helen (my wife) and I may need to let out our Whickham garden flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We instructed a Whickham conveyancing practice in 2004 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time get any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?
Some leases for properties in Whickham do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting consent.
I own a 1st floor flat in Whickham, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable properties in Whickham with a long lease are worth £265,000. The ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 2102
With just 76 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.
My wife and I have recently appointed a conveyancing solicitor in Whickham. I I would like to check if they are listed on the bank's conveyancing panel. Can you help?
It’s a good idea phone the solicitor and ask them if they are on the bank's panel. Alternatively please call us and we can make some checks for you. Should the firm not be on the conveyancing panel we we can help find a reputable conveyancing solicitor in Whickham on the panel for your lender.