I have given 8 weeks notice to my existing landlord and have to be out of my let out property in Swanage by 2/1/2025. Conveyancing on my purchase is progressing. Is it possible to complete in three weeks as I wish to avoid having to find short term accommodation?

Generally one should not give notice for your tenancy until exchange of contracts has taken place. Assuming that you have not already done so, speak to your lawyer and ask them to they apply pressure on the other side, try to get a realistic time scale from them that all parties will aim towards

I am selling our property in Swanage and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was constructed land that was not decontaminated. A high street Swanage lawyer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers are using a national conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Swanage. Having lived in Swanage for six years we know that this is a non issue. Is it a good idea to contact our local Authority to get clarification that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and identified one near me in Swanage I like with a park and transport links nearby, however it only has 52 years on the lease. There is not much else in Swanage for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be an issue. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the property for at least twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

I am looking at a two flats in Swanage both have about fifty years left on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in Swanage. The lease is a right to use the premises for a period of time. As the lease shortens the marketability of the lease reduces and it becomes more expensive to extend the lease. For this reason it is advisable to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We recommend you get professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Swanage - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

Most Swanage leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service bill for maintenance of the block levied by the landlord. Where you buy the flat you will have to pay this liability, usually in instalments accross the year. This can vary from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal grounds. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, this is usually not a significant amount, say approximately £50-£100 but you need to enquire as sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds. What prohibitions are contained in the Swanage Lease? Who are the managing agents?

A licensed conveyancer handled my conveyancing in Swanage three years past and was holding my registration documents but has since been shut down – What can I do to retreive these?

Title deeds, as such, are no longer appropriate for the majority of homes in Swanage are archived digitally at Land Registry. Should you need to establish ownership or are disposing of or refinancing your lawyer can obtain up to date copies of the register from the Land Registry in any case.

If you feel there may be other documents or you have any other queries please e-mail your request with details of the transaction and documents you need to filerequest@clc-uk.org. The CLC will let you know what information they have and any additional information they may need before they are in a position to identify and send the documents to you. Following an intervention it may take some time for the CLC to access archived files and documents, but your request will be actioned as quickly as possible.