We were just about to sign contracts for a garden flat in Chigwell. We have hit a snag. Our loan offer with Godiva Mortgages Ltd expires on 30/1/2026 but the owners are suggesting a completion date of 3/2/2026. Can one prolong the mortgage offer?

The person best placed to address this question is your lawyer who will hopefully assess whether they corresponding with the bank, seller’s conveyancers, selling agents or conceivably all three based on the circumstances your transaction as of today.

What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Chigwell? What am I being asked for?

You are right in these requests have nothing to do with conveyancing in Chigwell. Nowadays you will not be able to proceed with any conveyancing transaction in the absence providing evidence of your identity. This usually takes the form of a either your passport or driving licence as well as a council tax bill. Please note that if you are supplying your driving licence as proof of ID it must be both the paper part as well as the photo card part, one is not sufficient in the absence of the other.

Evidence of your source of funds is mandated in accordance with the Money Laundering Regulations. Don’t be offended when you are asked to produce this as your lawyer will need to have this information on file. Your Chigwell conveyancing solicitor will need to see evidence of proof of funds before they are able to accept any funds from you into their client account and they should also ask further queries regarding the origin of funds.

What is your number one tip for finding a conveyancing solicitor in Chigwell

We would encourage you not to base your choice on the lowest Chigwell conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

Can I be sure that the Chigwell conveyancing solicitor on the Virgin Money panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Chigwell obtaining recommendations is a sensible start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advocate that you speak with the lawyer carrying out your conveyancing.

I currently have a mortgage with Santander for my property in Chigwell. Conveyancing was finalised 12 months ago. Should I wish to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Santander?

Your original mortgage agreement with Santander will provide that you need their approval before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Santander’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent 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 Santander directly. You need not do this via a Santander conveyancing panel solicitor.

I'm purchasing my first flat in Chigwell with the aid of help to buy. The builders would not reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The estate agent told me not inform my solicitor about this deal as it would impact my loan with Aldermore. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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 have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without any joy. Can I make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Chigwell conveyancing firm to help?

Where there is a absentee freeholder or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to determine the amount due.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Chigwell premises is 201 & 201a St. Barnabas Road in October 2013. The Tribunal decided that the price to be paid by the Applicants for the freehold interest is £20,071. This case affected 2 flats. The remaining number of years on the lease was 69.26 years.

What are the frequently found defects that you witness in leases for Chigwell properties?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Chigwell. All leases are unique and drafting errors can result in certain sections are missing. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

Insurance obligations Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.

You may encounter difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Barclays , Virgin Money, and Nottingham Building Society all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the buyer to pull out.