I am buying a property in Headington. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Barclays be concerned?

As you are obtaining a mortgage with Barclays your lawyer must check the formal instructions outlined in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Barclays. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook includes minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Barclays where a lease does not meet these conditions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Headington.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with TSB. I assume I don't need a Headington conveyancing practitioner on the TSB panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your TSB mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the TSB mortgage from the register. TSB, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where TSB has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. TSB has instructed the Land Registry to do so

It is not clear whether my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called into my local Headington bank branch on a couple of occasions and was told it wasn't an issue and they would lend. My Headington conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they would not lend based on their specific requirements. I have no idea who is right.

Your property lawyer has to comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook Part 2 provisions for your lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

I purchased a renovated Georgian property in Headington. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Coventry Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the matching property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Headington and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also question the position with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one near me in Headington I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, however it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Headington in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

Should you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease will likely be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you may request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this.

I need to appoint a conveyancing solicitor for leasehold conveyancing in Headington. I have stumble upon a site which seems to have the perfect solution If it is possible to get all the legals done via phone that would be preferable. Do I need to be wary? What should out be looking out for?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

We are in the throes of selling our flat in Headington. Conveyancing is fine but we are being charged an extortionate amount by the managing agents. So far we have issued a cheque for £225 for a leasehold management information and then another £117.20 for responses to questions raised by the purchaser's conveyancing practitioner.

You will not have control over the extent of the charges for this information however the typical costs for the information for Headington leasehold property is £360. When it comes to Headington conveyancing deals it is customary for the vendor to cover the costs. The landlord or their agents are not duty bound to answer such questions although many will agree to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices disproportionate to the work involved. Regretfully there is no legislation that requires set fees for administrative tasks. There is no statutory time frame by which they are duty bound to issue answers.