We are hoping to purchase a 2 bedroom apartment in Chaddesley Corbett with a mortgage. We have a Chaddesley Corbett solicitor, however the bank advise she’s not on their "panel". It seems we have little option but to use one of the mortgage company panel firms or continue with our Chaddesley Corbett conveyancer as well as pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. We consider that this is inequitable; can we not insist that the mortgage company use our Chaddesley Corbett conveyancer ?

Unfortunately,no. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your Chaddesley Corbett conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

When can the exchange of contracts take place for sale conveyancing in Chaddesley Corbett and do I need to attend the solicitors office?

If you are local to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Chaddesley Corbett you are invited in to sign the paperwork. That being said, the law practices we recommend offer countrywide coverage for conveyancing and provide as equally diligent and professional a job for you when dealing with you digitally. The signing of the purchase agreement is not the critical part. A signed contract is necessary for the conveyancer to address the formalities at the appropriate time, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The exchange process is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a lengthy "chain" is in the mix, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Chaddesley Corbett)to be in the office at the appropriate time.

A relative pointed out to me me that in purchasing a property in Chaddesley Corbett there may be various restrictions as to what one can do in terms of external alterations to a property. Is this right?

There are a number of properties in Chaddesley Corbett which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Chaddesley Corbett should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Chaddesley Corbett. I have a mortgage agreed with Coventry BS. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Coventry BS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel.

My offer was accepted on a property in Chaddesley Corbett on 4/8/2025, valuation was booked 3 days after, all came back fine. Conveyancer appointed, so the only thing outstanding 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. Are Virgin Money entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?

Mortgage companies tend not to not issue an offer 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.

I am buying a new build house in Chaddesley Corbett with a loan from HSBC Bank. The developers refused to budge the price so I negotiated 6k of additionals instead. The house builders rep told me not disclose to my lawyer about the extras as it would 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.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Chaddesley Corbett. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Chaddesley Corbett Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? It would be wise to find out as much as you can concerning the company managing the building as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to every day matters such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Ask other tenants if they are happy with them. In conclusion, find out the dates that the maintenance charges are due to the managing agents and precisely how they are spending the funds. This question is useful as a) areas can result in problems in the block as the common areas may begin to deteriorate where repairs are not paid for b) if the tenants have an issue with the managing agents you will want to have full disclosure