I have just over seventy years left on my lease and need a lease extension for my flat in Woodingdean. Conveyancing solicitors on the Tesco Bank panel can deal with such extensions right?

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 3/12/2025 the requirements read as follows :

I am expecting a AIP from Co-operative this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Co-operative recommend any Woodingdean solicitors on the Co-operative conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Woodingdean solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Co-operative through the process.

My husband and I are spending time looking at houses in Woodingdean and I am about to put in an offer. Is it too early to have a solicitor in place? I am planning to take a home loan with Co-operative.

It would be advisable to start your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the estate agent. As you are taking out a mortgage with Co-operative, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Co-operative conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

UBS have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on a property in Woodingdean has been accepted, now what?

Your estate agent will need to be advised as to your property lawyer's details (make sure the conveyancing practitioners are on the bank’s panel). Contact UBS or the broker and complete any appropriate documentation. UBS will instruct a valuer who will get in touch with the selling agent or seller to book a slot for the valuation to happen. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes on average ten days to receive the mortgage offer. UBS will issue the offer to you and your solicitors. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Woodingdean.

I am purchasing my first flat in Woodingdean with the aid of help to buy. The sellers refused to budge the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative suggested that I not inform my conveyancer about the deal as it would jeopardize my mortgage with Coventry Building Society. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I need to instruct a conveyancing practitioner in Woodingdean for my purchase. Is it possible to see a solicitor's complaints history with the profession’s regulator?

Members of the public may review presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions resulting from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors record, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For non-uk callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator may recorded telephone calls for training requirements.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 62 years unexpired on my lease in Woodingdean. I now wish to get lease extension but my landlord is can not be found. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the landlord. In some cases a specialist should be useful to carry out a search and to produce an expert document which can be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer in relation to investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Woodingdean.

I bought a 1 bedroom flat in Woodingdean, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2000. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in Woodingdean with over 90 years remaining are worth £195,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2089

With just 64 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £14,300 and £16,400 plus costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.