We are about to exchange contracts for a ground floor flat in Whitehaven. We encountered a snag. Our mortgage offer with Lloyds TSB Bank runs out on 17/9/2025 but the vendors are putting forward a completion date of 19/9/2025. Is it possible to prolong the mortgage expiry date?

The best person to deal with your issue is your lawyer who will calculate if they should be discussing with the bank, seller’s representatives, estate agents or indeed all parties given what has gone on in your transaction as of today.

is it true that all Whitehaven conveyancing solicitors on the Barclays conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Barclays approved list of solicitors they would need to be governed by the SRA. Some mortgage companies do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the organisation would be overseen by the CLC.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Whitehaven. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Santander have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

As you are obtaining a mortgage with Santander your lawyer must check the conveyancing instructions outlined in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Santander. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook sets out minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to Santander where a lease fails to meet these specifications. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not limited to Whitehaven.

I have instructed a Whitehaven conveyancing practitioner having made sure that they are on the RBS conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

RBS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually RBS will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Whitehaven surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

My wife and I are downsizing from our home in Whitehaven and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built land that was not decontaminated. A high street Whitehaven conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers are using a web based conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Whitehaven. We have lived in Whitehaven for 5 years we know that this is a non issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to get clarification that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You need to check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same ailment)

I have a semi-detached Edwardian house in Whitehaven. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Chelsea Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You should review 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 proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Whitehaven and other areas of 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 lenders. You can also question the position with the conveyancing solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.

I've found a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just discovered that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Whitehaven. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Whitehaven ?

The majority of houses in Whitehaven are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Whitehaven in which case you should be looking for a Whitehaven conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer should advise you fully on all the issues.

Whitehaven Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge payments? How is the lease structured? Many Whitehaven leasehold flats will be liable to pay a service bill for the upkeep of the block set by the freeholder. Should you buy the property you will have to pay this amount, usually quarterly throughout the year. This could be anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common areas. There will also be a rentcharge to be met yearly, ordinarily this is not a large sum, say about £25-£75 but you need to check as on occasion it could be many hundreds of pounds.