We are about to sign contracts for a leasehold flat in Welton. We encountered a snag. Our loan offer with Nationwide Building Society runs out on 7/1/2025 but the sellers are putting forward a completion date of 9/1/2025. Is it possible to prolong the loan expiry date?

The person best placed to deal with your issue is your conveyancer who should calculate whether they should be discussing with the mortgage broker, owner’s representatives, property agents or conceivably all parties taking into account what has gone on in your house move as of today.

I purchased a freehold house in Welton but still pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Welton and has limited impact for conveyancing in Welton but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges have existed for many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

Previous rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 is to be extinguished.

A friend pointed out to me me that in buying a property in Welton there could be a number of restrictions limiting what one can do in terms of external changes to the property. Is this right?

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

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Welton off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Virgin Money. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Virgin Money, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.

I recently had an offer agreed on a house in Welton. My financial adviser suggested a solicitor. I paid an on account payment of £225. A few days later, the conveyancing practitioner contacted me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Santander conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Santander panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

As co-executor for the will of my father I am selling a residence in Swansea but reside in Welton. My lawyer (based 300 miles awayrequires that I sign a statutory declaration before completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Welton who can attest and place their company stamp on the document?

strictly speaking you are not likely to need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are based in Welton

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Welton conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Welton conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggest that you speak with two or three firms including non Welton conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be useful:

How many lease extensions has the firm carried out in Welton in the last 12 months? If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?

Leasehold Conveyancing in Welton - Sample of Queries Prior to buying

Best to be warned if redecorating or some other major work is coming up that will be shared amongst the leasehold owners and could well materially increase the the maintenance fees or necessitate a specific invoice. Is anyone aware of any major works on the horizon that could add a premium to the maintenance charges?