My uncle informed me that in purchasing a property in Battersea there may be a number of restrictions prohibiting external alterations to the property. Is this right?

We are aware of a number of properties in Battersea which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Battersea should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

When it comes to lenders such as Barclays, do Battersea property lawyers face an annual charge to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are not aware of any lender fees to register on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

I have paid off my mortgage with Nottingham. I assume I don't need a Battersea conveyancer on the Nottingham panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.

If you have finished paying off your Nottingham 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 Nottingham mortgage from the register. Nottingham, 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 Nottingham has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Nottingham has instructed the Land Registry to do so

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Battersea?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Battersea. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and found one round the corner in Battersea I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it only has 61 years on the lease. There is not much else in Battersea for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you could ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

My husband and I are FTB’s - had an offer accepted, but the agent informed us that the owners will only issue a contract if we use the agent's chosen lawyers as they want a ‘quick sale’. My instinct tells me that we should use a family solicitor who is familiar with conveyancing in Battersea

We suspect that the owner is not behind this requirement. If they desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a motivated purchaser is going to damage their objectives. Speak to the vendors direct and make sure they comprehend that (a)you are serious buyers (b)you are ready to progress, with finances in place © you have nothing to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you will continue to appoint your own,trusted Battersea conveyancing firm - not the ones that will earn the estate agent a referral fee or meet his conveyancing thresholds pre-set by corporate headquarters.

Is planning consent needed to convert a single dwelling into two flats in Battersea? This has taken place to a house adjacent to my home in Battersea and was not aware of the conversion until the works were complete.

Planning Permission yes. Building Regulations yes.