We were just about to exchange contracts for a freehold house in Malpas. We encountered a stumbling block. The mortgage offer with Nottingham Building Society runs out on 24/3/2025 but the sellers are suggesting a completion date of 26/3/2025. Can one extend the loan offer?

The person best placed to address this issue is your solicitors who should determine whether he or she is should be discussing with the mortgage broker, seller’s representatives, estate agents or conceivably all parties given the history of your house move as of today.

In what way does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Malpas? Why is this being asked of me?

To satisfy the Money Laundering Regulations any Malpas conveyancing firm will require proof of identity in all conveyancing transactions. This is normally dealt with by provision of a passport and an original bank statement or utility account evidencing your correct address.

In accordance with Money Laundering Regulations, conveyancers are duty bound to ascertain not just the identity of conveyancing clients but also the source of the money that they receive in respect of any matter. Refusal to disclose this will lead to your lawyer cancelling their retainer with you, as clearly this will cause a conflict between the set Regulations and a refusal to disclose.

Your property lawyers will have an obligation to inform the relevant authorities should they consider that any amounts received by them may contravene the Money Laundering Regulations.

I am due to move house in February. Does my conveyancing solicitor communicate with the removal company on the day of completion. Incidentally, can you suggest a removal company in Malpas. Conveyancing lawyer was found before I stumbled across your website.

On the afternoon of completion you can collect the house keys from the property agent but this should only take place when the sellers solicitors advise the agent that the monies to complete are in and the keys can be given over. After that you will need to inform the removal men that they can start moving you in. We do not suggest a particular removal company but can assist you in choosing a residential property solicitor in Malpas or a legal practice that specialises in conveyancing in Malpas.

I am the only beneficiary of my late father’s will with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in Malpas. The Malpas property was put into my name in December. I now wish to sell up. I do know about the CML 6 month 'rule', meaning my property ownership may be regarded the same way as if I'd bought the property in December. Is the property unsalable for six months?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook obliges conveyancers 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. How sensible a view lenders take of it, depend on the mortgage company as this requirement principally exists to identify the purchase and immediately sell or the wholesaling and assigning of properties.

Co-operative have agreed my home loan in principle, my bid on a house in Malpas has been accepted, now what?

Your property agent will want to know who your solicitors are (ensure that the conveyancing practitioners are on the bank’s panel). Contact Co-operative or the broker and finalise any relevant documentation. Co-operative will sellect a valuer who will get in touch with the estate agent or vendor to schedule a slot for the valuation to happen. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes on average ten days to receive the mortgage offer. Co-operative will issue the offer to you and your solicitors. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Malpas.

I used Stirling Law several years ago for my conveyancing in Malpas. Now, I need my files however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

You should 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 Malpas of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Malpas. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I invested in buying a basement flat in Malpas, conveyancing having been completed 8 years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding properties in Malpas with a long lease are worth £190,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2087

With 62 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £17,100 and £19,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.