About to place a bid on a leasehold apartment in Westcliff On Sea. The selling agents advise that it is standard for flats in Westcliff On Sea to have less than 75 years unexpired on the lease. I am taking out a mortgage with Tesco Bank. Is this going to be acceptable if the lease has 72 years unexpired.

Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Tesco Bank have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 28/1/2025 the requirements read as follows :

Various online forums that I have come across warn that are a common reason for stalling in Westcliff On Sea conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published findings of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the most frequent causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Searches are not likely to be the root cause of slowing down conveyancing in Westcliff On Sea.

I purchased my flat on 5 April and my personal details are still not registered. Should I be concerned? My conveyancing solicitor in Westcliff On Sea advises it should be formalised inside ten days. Are transfers in Westcliff On Sea uniquely lengthy to register?

As far as conveyancing in Westcliff On Sea is concerned, registration is no quicker or slower than the rest of England and Wales. Rather than based on location, timeframes can adjust depending on who lodges the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry communicate with any other parties. Currently in the region of 80% of such applications are fully dealt with within 12 days but some can be subject to protracted hold-ups. Historically registration is effected once the buyer is living at the premises therefore registration formalities is not typically top priority yet if it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your solicitor should communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for an expedited registration.

I'm purchasing my first flat in Westcliff On Sea with the aid of help to buy. The developers would not budge the price so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The property agent advised me not reveal to my lawyer about this side-deal as it could impact my loan with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I have been pointed in your direction by three or four local property agents in Westcliff On Sea to locate a solicitor using your seach tool. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to promote your lawyers ahead of a competitor’s?

We refuse to give any financial incentive for directing people to this site. We found it would be just too difficult a fee because home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.