We are about to sign contracts for a garden flat in Markyate. We encountered a stumbling block. Our mortgage offer with Chelsea Building Society expires on 17/2/2025 but the vendors are insisting on a completion date of 19/2/2025. Is it possible to prolong the mortgage offer?

The best person to deal with your question is your lawyer who will calculate whether he or she is better off negotiating with the bank, vendor’s conveyancers, estate agents or possibly all parties taking into account the circumstances your house move as of today.

We see that you have a search directory listing law firms on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a commission if I retain them for our own conveyancing in Markyate?

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Aldermore conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Markyate.

A friend advised me that in buying a property in Markyate there could be a number of restrictions preventing external alterations to the property. Is this right?

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

I am the only recipient of my late father’s will and I have everything in my name now, including the my former home in Markyate. The Markyate property was put into my name in November. I now wish to sell up. I do know about the CML 6 month 'rule', which means that my property ownership may be treated the same way as though I had purchased the property in November. Is the property unsalable for six months?

The CML handbook mandates 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 might be impacted by that. Most mortgage companies would take a practical view as this provision principally exists to identify the purchase and immediately sell or the quick reselling of properties.

Our sealed bid on a semi in Markyate has been agreed to, the owners do however have a connected purchase. The owners have offered on a flat, but it’s not yet tied up, and are looking at other properties booked. I have instructed a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Markyate. What do I do now? When should I get the mortgage application with Coventry BS started?

It is understandable to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (mortgage application is in the region of £1k, then valuation, Markyate conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you must ensure that your conveyancing practitioner is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. Regarding the subsequent phase this very much dictated by the uniqueness of your case, attraction to this property and on the state of the market. In a hot market some purchasers will apply for a home loan with Coventry BS and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their property lawyer to press on with the conveyancing in Markyate.

I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor for purchase conveyancing in Markyate. I've land on a site which appears to be the ideal solution If it is possible to get all formalities completed via email that would be preferable. Should I be wary? What should out be looking out for?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Markyate with the intention of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Markyate can be reduced where you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers’ conveyancers.
If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you have the original share document. Obtaining a new share certificate is often a time consuming formality and delays many a Markyate conveyancing transaction. Where a new share certificate is required, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this as soon as possible. A minority of Markyate leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers. If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a property where a dispute is ongoing. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to present the dispute as historic rather than unsettled. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Markyate state that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord approving such works. Should you dont have the consents in place do not communicate with the landlord without checking with your solicitor before hand.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Markyate - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

In the main the cost for major works are not built into the maintenance charges, albeit that some managing agents in Markyate ask leasehold owners to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific purpose of building a fund for major works. Does the lease contain onerous restrictions?