I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Winchester. My lender is Bank of Ireland
Bank of Ireland have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 4/7/2025, the requirements read as follows :
Forgive me if this question is silly but I am wet behind the ears as FTB of a two bedroom flat in Winchester. Do I receive the keys to the house on the completion date from my conveyancer? If this is the case, I will find a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Winchester?
On the day of completion you will not be required to attend the conveyancers office in Winchester. Conveyancing lawyers for you will electronically transfer the completion advance to the vendor’s lawyers, and once they have received this, you should be invited to pick up the keys from the Estate Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this occurs between 1 and 3pm.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Co-operative. I assume I don't need a Winchester lawyer on the Co-operative panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Co-operative mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Co-operative mortgage from the register. Co-operative, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Co-operative has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Co-operative has instructed the Land Registry to do so
HSBC have agreed my home loan in principle, my offer on a apartment in Winchester has been agreed to, now what?
Your property agent will wish to know who your solicitors are (ensure that the property lawyers are on the lender’s panel). Contact HSBC or your broker and finish off any appropriate paperwork. HSBC will sellect a valuer who will get in contact with the selling agent or vendor to schedule a time for the valuation to happen. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes about a fortnight to get a mortgage offer. HSBC will send the offer to you and your conveyancing practitioners. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Winchester.
Should my conveyancer be asking questions regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in Winchester.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers dealing with homes in Winchester. There are those who acquire a property in Winchester, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.
Solicitors are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, however there are a number of checks that can be carried out by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which can give them a better understanding of the risks in Winchester. The standard information sent to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a standard question of the owner to discover whether the property has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred which is not revealed by the owner, then a purchaser may commence a legal claim for losses resulting from an misleading reply. The purchaser’s lawyers may also order an environmental report. This will reveal whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional inquiries should be initiated.
I am buying a new build house in Winchester benefiting from help to buy. The sellers refused to move on the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep advised me not disclose to my lawyer about the extras as it would adversely affect my loan with the bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.
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.
We're FTB’s - agreed a price, but the agent told us that the seller will only proceed if we appoint the agent's recommended solicitors as they are insisting on an ‘expedited deal’. We would rather use a local solicitor used to conveyancing in Winchester
We suspect that the owner is unaware of this requirement. Should the seller desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a genuine purchaser is going to damage their objectives. Speak to the owners direct and make sure they understand (a)you are genuine purchasers (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you are unencumbered (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)but you will continue to appoint your preferred Winchester conveyancing solicitors - rather thanthose that will give their estate agent a kickback or achieve conveyancing thresholds pre-set by HQ.
I today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Winchester. Conveyancing advisers have are about to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?
Most houses in Winchester are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Winchester so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Winchester conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.
I own a 2 bed flat in Winchester, conveyancing formalities finalised November 2012. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Corresponding flats in Winchester with over 90 years remaining are worth £176,000. The ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2105
With only 80 years remaining on your lease 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 figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.