Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Dursley. My lender is Platform

Platform have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 30/1/2025, the requirements read as follows :

Forgive me if this question is silly but I am unseasoned as FTB of a garden flat in Dursley. Do I pick up the keys to the premises on the completion date from my conveyancer? If this is the case, I will find a local conveyancing solicitor in Dursley?

On the day of completion you will not be required to go to the conveyancers office in Dursley. Conveyancing lawyers for you will arrange to send the purchase money to the seller's lawyers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you will be able to receive the keys from the Estate Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this happens between 1 and 3pm.

I am the single beneficiary of my late grandmother’s will and I have everything in my name alone, including the my former home in Dursley. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in December. I plan to dispose of the house. I understand that there is a Mortgage Lenders six month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship may be regarded the same way as though I had purchased the house in December. Is the property unsalable for six months?

The CML handbook requires solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you could be impacted by that. Most lenders would take a sensible view as this clause is chiefly there to capture subsales or the quick reselling of properties.

My wife and I are at the point of viewing apartments in Dursley and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it premature to have a solicitor in place? I am planning to take a mortgage with Clydesdale.

You should start requesting conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the estate agent. As you are taking out a mortgage with Clydesdale, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one near me in Dursley I like with open areas and transport links in the vicinity, however it's only got 61 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Dursley in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease will be an issue. Reduce 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 at least 2 years you may 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 term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

I am using a search engine for the term on line conveyancing in Dursley it shows results of many conveyancersin the vicinity. How do I determine which is the suitable conveyancing solicitor for purchase transaction?

The best way of finding a suitable conveyancer is via personal testimonial, so enquire of colleagues and those you trust who have bought a property in Dursley or a respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Dursley differ, so it's a good idea to secure at least three fee estimates from different property lawyers. Be sure to obtain confirmation that the fees are fixed.

Completion is due on the sale of our £350,000 maisonette in Dursley on Tuesday in a week. The freeholder has quoted £300 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Dursley?

Dursley conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually involves the buyer’s conveyancer submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address such questions most will be willing to do so. They may invoice a reasonable charge for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it is above £800. The administration charge demanded by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the invoice is technically not due. In reality one has little choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to sell the property.

I bought a 1 bedroom flat in Dursley, conveyancing was carried out in 1999. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Dursley with a long lease are worth £179,000. The ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2082

With 57 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to range between £26,600 and £30,800 as well as professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.