I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Woodstock. My lender is Accord Mortgages

Accord Mortgages have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 3/9/2025, the requirements read as follows :

I am helping my niece sell her property in Woodstock. Does the conveyancer arrange an EPC or it is for the seller to see to?

After the demise of HIPs, EPC’s was maintained a compulsory element of selling a property. An energy assessment needs to be commissioned prior to the property being marketed. It is not something that solicitors ordinarily organise. If you are using a Woodstock conveyancing solicitor they may be willing to arrange energy performance certificates given their relationships with long established Woodstock providers

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Woodstock off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Aldermore. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have 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 Aldermore, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Aldermore conveyancing panel.

I was told three weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Bank of Ireland. Is it usual for Bank of Ireland to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Woodstock is approved on their conveyancing panel? Bank of Ireland have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their PI Insurance.

A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Bank of Ireland to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

I'm buying a new build house in Woodstock with the aid of help to buy. The sellers refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent told me not to tell my conveyancer about the side-deal as it could impact my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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 opted to have a survey done on a house in Woodstock prior to appointing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. The surveyor has said that some banks may not give a mortgage on a flying freehold property.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different instructions for example to Nationwide. If you call us we can check via the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Woodstock. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

My partner and I may need to rent out our Woodstock 1st floor flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Woodstock conveyancing practice in 2003 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to get any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Some leases for properties in Woodstock do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord cannot unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting consent.

Woodstock Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries Prior to buying

It is important to be aware whether redecorating or some other significant cost is anticipated to be shared by the leasehold owners and could well dramatically impact the level of the service fees or require a specific payment. It would be wise to enquire if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For example it is fairly common in Woodstock leases that pets are not permitted in in a block in Woodstock. If you love the flatin Woodstock yet your dog is not allowed to live with you then you have a very hard compromise. What is the name of the managing agents?