We are about to exchange contracts for a property in Dunnington. We have hit a stumbling block. Our mortgage offer with The Royal Bank of Scotland runs out on 3/2/2026 but the sellers are suggesting a completion date of 5/2/2026. Is it possible to extend the mortgage expiry date?

The person best placed to deal with your concern is your lawyer who will assess if he or she is better off negotiating with the mortgage broker, seller’s lawyers, property agents or conceivably all parties based on what has happend in your transaction to date.

I have a renovated Georgian property in Dunnington. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Alliance & Leicester . I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Dunnington and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also enquire as to the situation with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the work.

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Dunnington ahead of instructing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the house. My surveyor advised that some banks will refuse to grant a loan on such a home.

It varies from the lender to lender. HSBC has different requirements from Halifax. If you e-mail us we can investigate further via the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Dunnington. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Dunnington especially if they are acquainted with such properties in Dunnington.

My husband and I are new to the buying process - had an offer accepted, yet the agent advised that the vendor will only proceed if we use their chosen conveyancers as they are insisting on an ‘expedited deal’. Our preferred option is to instruct a family conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Dunnington

We suspect that the seller is unaware of this request. If they desire ‘a quick sale', alienating a motivated buyer is not the way to achieve this. Try to communicate with the sellers directly and make sure they understand (a)you are serious buyers (b)you are ready to progress, with mortgage lined up © you have nothing to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you are going to instruct your own,trusted Dunnington conveyancing firm - as opposed tothe ones that will earn their negotiator at the agency a referral fee or achieve conveyancing targets demanded by corporate headquarters.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two maisonettes in Dunnington both have in the region of fifty years remaining on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Dunnington is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the marketability of the property. The majority of purchasers and banks, leases with less than 75 years become less and less attractive. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Dunnington conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

Dunnington Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

It is important to be aware whether redecorating or some other significant cost is pending to be shared amongst the tenants and could well materially increase the the maintenance fees or require a one off invoice. Many Dunnington leasehold flats will incur a service bill for the upkeep of the building invoiced on behalf of the freeholder. Where you buy the flat you will have to meet this charge, normally in instalments throughout the year. This could differ from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal grounds. In all likelihood there will be a ground rent to be met annual, this is usually not a significant amount, say around £25-£75 but you should to check as sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds. This question is helpful as a) areas could result in problems for the building as the common areas may begin to deteriorate if services are not paid for b) if the leasehold owners have a dispute with the managing agents you will want to have all the details