We were just about to sign contracts for a garden flat in Denton. We have hit a problem. Our mortgage offer with Norwich and Peterborough Building Society expires on 19/9/2025 but the owners are putting forward a completion date of 23/9/2025. Can one prolong the mortgage offer?

The person best placed to address this question is your solicitors who will determine if he or she is should be discussing with the bank, seller’s representatives, estate agents or indeed all parties taking into account what has gone on in your conveyancing as of today.

What is the first thing I need to know regarding purchase conveyancing in Denton?

Not many law firms or advisers will tell you this but conveyancing in Denton and elsewhere in Greater Manchester is often a confrontational process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of room for conflict between you and other parties involved in the ownership transfer. For example, the vendor, property agent and sometimes your bank. Appointing a law firm for your conveyancing in Denton should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE party in the legal process whose responsibility is to act in your best interests and to protect you.

We are witnessing a definite increase of a "blame" culture- someone must be blamed for the process being so protracted. You your first instinct should be to trust your conveyancer ahead of all other players in the conveyancing process.

The deeds to my house can not be found. The lawyers who handled the conveyancing in Denton 5 years ago no longer exist. What are my options?

Assuming the title is registered the details of your proprietorship will be held by the Land Registry under a Title Number. It is easy to carry out a search at the Land Registry, find your property and secure up to date copies of the Registered Entries for a small fee. Where the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually hold a certified duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be ordered for £20 inclusive of VAT.

I opted to have a survey done on a house in Denton before retaining solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor advised that some lenders tend not give a loan on this type of premises.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different requirements for example to Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail 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 Denton. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Denton to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

Last January I purchased a leasehold house in Denton. 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 owner 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 ensure 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).

Denton Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries before buying

The answer will be helpful as a) areas can result in problems for the building as the common areas may start to deteriorate where services are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have an issue with the managing agents you will want to know about it It would be sensible to find out as much as you can concerning the company managing the building as they can either make living at the property much simpler or uncomfortable. Being a leasehold owner you are often at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to practical matters such as the upkeep of the communal areas. Ask other people what they think of them. Finally, find out the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the managing agents and specifically what you get for your money. What is the length of the lease?