Recently been in touch with my conveyancing solicitor in Catford who conducted the legals two years ago requesting a conveyancing estimate based on the same type of house move (a leasehold property and a freehold property) of almost identical values with a mortgage from Aldermore. It looks as though am now being charged double. Am I right to be tempted to shop around for an alternative property lawyer?

The costs illustration is slightly on the high side. If you shop around you could decrease the fees slightly by say a hundred pounds. That being said, if you were pleased with the conveyancing the firm provided you maycome to rue choosing an an unknown conveyancer. Don't forget to ensure that the firm can also act for Aldermore. Do make use of our search tool to find a Catford conveyancing firm on the Aldermore member panel, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Catford.

We are about to sign contracts for a property in Catford. We encountered a snag. Our loan offer with Halifax runs out on 24/4/2025 but the vendors are insisting on a completion date of 28/4/2025. Is it possible to prolong the mortgage offer?

The person best placed to address this issue is your conveyancer who will determine if they should be discussing with the mortgage broker, seller’s conveyancers, property agents or indeed all parties taking into account the history of your transaction as of today.

Can you explain why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Catford is more expensive?

Catford leasehold conveyancing transactions usually involve additional investigations than freeholds including investigating the Lease, liaising with the Landlord such as serving relevant notices on the Landlord or managing agent, obtaining up-to-date service charge and management information, obtaining Landlord’s consents and reviewing management accounts and formation documents.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Catford benefiting from help to buy. The developers would not move on the amount so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The property agent suggested that I not reveal to my lawyer about the side-deal as it would affect my mortgage with the lender. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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.

Frank (my husband) and I may need to let out our Catford 1st floor flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We used a Catford conveyancing practice in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to seek any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Even though your previous Catford conveyancing lawyer is not around you can check your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the apartment. The accepted inference is that if the lease is silent, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you are obliged to obtain permission via your landlord or other appropriate person before subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet without first obtaining permission. Such consent should not be unreasonably turned down. If your lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord for their consent.

We have reached the end of our tether in trying to reach an agreement for a lease extension in Catford. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

in cases where there is a missing freeholder or if there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the LVT to make a decision on the amount due.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Catford residence is 44 Elmer Road in January 2013. The Tribunal dacied that amount to be paid by the Leaseholders for the Landlords freehold reversion was £12,951 as at the valuation date (20" September 2012).This matter was referred back to the Bromley County Court to deal with costs, fees and any other outstanding matters. This case affected 2 flats. The unexpired term was 74.25 years.