About to place an offer on a leasehold flat in Withernsea. The property agents assure me that it is normal for flats in Withernsea to have less than 75 years unexpired on the lease. I am obtaining a mortgage with Platform. Is this going to be acceptable if the lease has 69 years to go.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are obtaining a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Platform have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 18/9/2025 the requirements read as follows :
I opted to have a survey carried out on a house in Withernsea in advance of appointing lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. My surveyor has said that some banks will not grant a mortgage on such a house.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to call us we can check via the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Withernsea. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Withernsea especially if they are familiar with such properties in Withernsea.
How do I search for a Withernsea law firm on the Platform Home Loans Ltd conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am willing to travel upto 10miles to meet the lawyer.
You can use the search on this website. Please choose the mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Withernsea conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have detailed some Withernsea conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can ring them to verify if they are on the Platform Home Loans Ltd approved list
We are 17 days into a residential purchase having been referred to conveyancers by the selling agent to perform conveyancing in Withernsea. I am am very dissatisfied with the quality of service. Could you you assist me in finding new conveyancers?
They would have to be very bad to suggest changing them. Has the mortgage offer been issued? In the event that it has you need to advise them of the new solicitor and ensure the offer are re-sent. Your new solicitor ideally needs to be on the mortgage company approved list to avoid supplemental costs and delays. That should be your first question of the new lawyers. Our find a solicitor tool will help you find a bank approved lawyer for your conveyancing in Withernsea
I work for a long established estate agency in Withernsea where we have experienced a number of flat sales jeopardised due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Withernsea conveyancing solicitors. Can you confirm whether the owner of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?
Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser need not have to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.
An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.
Withernsea Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should ask before Purchasing
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How many years are left on the lease? The prefered form of lease arrangement is if the freehold interest is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this arrangement the leaseholders benefit from control and although a managing agent is frequently employed where the building is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. Who takes charge for maintaining and repairing the block?
Do I have to visit the offices of the mortgage company conveyancing panel solicitor to execute the mortgage deed? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Withernsea so that I can attend their offices if required.
As opposed to ten years ago, most lenders no longer require their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the borrowers signature. You will still be obliged to provide ID Documents and there are still distinct advantages to using a local solicitor, in your case a conveyancing solicitor in Withernsea.