I am about to put a bid on a leasehold flat in Droitwich Spa. The selling agents advise that it is normal for flats in Droitwich Spa to have less than 75 years unexpired on the lease. I am expecting a mortgage with Tesco Bank. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has 70 years to go.

Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are securing a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Tesco Bank have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 16/9/2025 the requirements read as follows :

Are all Droitwich Spa Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel?

Some major banks and building societies now utilise CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to join their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Droitwich Spa. I have a mortgage agreed with UBS. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. 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 UBS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the UBS conveyancing panel.

After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Droitwich Spa. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an on account payment of £175. Shortly after, the property lawyer called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Co-operative panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

What will a local search reveal regarding the house my wife and I purchasing in Droitwich Spa?

Droitwich Spa conveyancing often starts with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search company such as PSG The local search plays a central part in many a Droitwich Spa conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any nasty surprises after you move into your property. The search should provide information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen topic areas.

I'm refinancing my existing house to a buy to let loan with Leeds Building Society and intend to use the remaining equity as a deposit on a second house. The area we are looking at is Droitwich Spa. Will your conveyancers be able to act for both sets of mortgage companies and tie in the transactions?

Do use our comparison tool on this page to check that the solicitors are approved by both lenders. On the basis that they are the conveyancer will be able to simultaneously deal with the two deals but you should have a chat with you lawyer and make clear your expectations and needs.

Frank (my husband) and I may need to sub-let our Droitwich Spa 1st floor flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Droitwich Spa conveyancing practice in 2001 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your last Droitwich Spa conveyancing lawyer is no longer available you can check your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the apartment. The rule is that if the lease is non-specific, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you need to seek consent from your landlord or some other party prior to subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet without prior consent. Such consent should not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I invested in buying a basement flat in Droitwich Spa, conveyancing formalities finalised February 1996. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding flats in Droitwich Spa with an extended lease are worth £202,000. The ground rent is £60 invoiced every year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2082

You have 57 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to range between £28,500 and £33,000 as well as costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.