It is unclear whether my lender obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have telephoned my Histon bank branch on a couple of occasions and was told it does not affect the mortgage offer and they will lend. My Histon conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they will not lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?

Provided that the lawyer is on the bank approved list, they must follow the CML Handbook conditions for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

I am due to exchange contracts on my house. I had a double glazing fitted in March 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Principality are being pedantic. The Histon solicitor who is on the Principality conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Principality are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Principality have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Principality have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Principality may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

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

Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Co-operative to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

I used Action Conveyancing a few years past for my conveyancing in Histon. I now require my papers but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Histon of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

How does conveyancing in Histon differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Histon contact us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is constructed. This is because new home sellers in Histon typically buy the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Histon or who has acted in the same development.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £235,500 and found one close by in Histon I like with a park and railway links in the vicinity, however it's only got 51 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Histon in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be problematic. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you can request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.

I've found a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Histon. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Histon are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area who can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Histon in which case you should be shopping around for a Histon conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will appraise you on the various issues.

Histon Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries before buying

The prefered form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this situation the lessees have control and although a managing agent is frequently retained where it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. Who manages the block? Best to be warned if a new roof is being put on or some other major work is anticipated to be shared between the leaseholders and will dramatically impact the level of the service charges or result in a one time payment.