I have given 2 months notice to my current landlord and have to leave my rented property in Winchester by 2/6/2025. Conveyancing on my purchase is underway. Is it possible to complete in six weeks as don't want to have to find short term accommodation?
It is unwise to provide notice for your letting until exchange of contracts has taken place. If you have not already done so, contact to your lawyer and urge them to they seek the assistance the sellers side, try to get a realistic time scale from them that everyone will look towards
My wife and I are buying a property in Winchester. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a solicitor? On completion day we have to deposit our life savings into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our money?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
I have paid off my mortgage with Nationwide. I assume I don't need a Winchester conveyancer on the Nationwide panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Nationwide 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 Nationwide mortgage from the register. Nationwide, 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 Nationwide has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Nationwide has instructed the Land Registry to do so
The mortgage over my property is with Kent Reliance for my property in Winchester. Conveyancing has been completed months ago. If I am intending 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 Kent Reliance?
Your original mortgage agreement with Kent Reliance will provide that you need their approval prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Kent Reliance’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 Kent Reliance directly. You need not do this via a Kent Reliance conveyancing panel firm.
I decided to have a survey done on a house in Winchester ahead of appointing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. The surveyor advised that some mortgage companies tend refuse to give a mortgage on a flying freehold house.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different requirements from Halifax. If you e-mail us we can check with the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Winchester. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Winchester to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.
In my capacity as executor for the estate of my father I am disposing of a residence in Newport but I am based in Winchester. My conveyancer (approximately 200 kilometers awayrequires that I execute a statutory declaration prior to completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Winchester who can attest this legal document for me?
Technically speaking you should not be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or qualified solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are Winchester based
I today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Winchester. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Winchester ?
The majority of houses in Winchester are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Winchester in which case you should be looking for a Winchester conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the landlord’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer will advise you fully on all the issues.
I am the registered owner of a split level flat in Winchester, conveyancing formalities finalised 10 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Winchester with a long lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease terminates on 21st October 2077
With 52 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £29,500 and £34,000 as well as professional fees.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.
I’m about to sell my garden flat in Winchester.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated however I have just had a yearly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?
Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should pay the service charge as usual as all rents and service charges will be allottedas part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially