My husband and I are buying a leasehold flat in Beacon Hill. My Conveyancer is not on the mortgage company approved list. Can I still appoint my Beacon Hill conveyancing solicitor even though they are not on the bank panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?

One must have a lawyer to complete the legal work required when you require a mortgage to purchase your home. The conveyancing practitioner will carry out all the relevant investigations on the property, ensuring that you will be properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the required mortgage paperwork is in place. You may appoint a Beacon Hill solicitor of your choice. However, if the solicitor appointed is not on the bank approved list further fees will arise as separate legal representation will be required by them. Bank panel applications can be submitted, so where your lawyer has not in the past sought membership they should do so.

I have given 8 weeks notice to my existing landlord and must be out of my let out flat in Beacon Hill by the end of next month. Conveyancing for my house purchase has just started. How realistic is it to complete in three weeks as I wish to avoid having to find short term accommodation?

The normal practice is not to provide notice for your letting until exchange of contracts has taken place. Assuming that you have not already done so, update to your lawyer and request that they apply pressure on the other lawyers, try to get a realistic time scale from them that all parties will work towards

I had a mortgage agreed in principle with Yorkshire BS. Beacon Hill conveyancing solicitors are instructed. How long does it take for Yorkshire BS to forward the offer to the lawyer?

Some lenders take longer than others. Have Yorkshire BS completed the survey? Have you informed Yorkshire BS as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

I am buying a property in Beacon Hill. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Santander have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that your lender is Santander your lawyer must check the conveyancing requirements outlined in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Santander. The CML Handbook contains minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Santander where a lease fails to comply with these specifications. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not limited to Beacon Hill.

My offer was accepted on a house in Beacon Hill on 15/12/2025, valuation was booked 3 days after, all came back fine. Conveyancer retained, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Skipton and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Skipton conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?

Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Skipton to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Skipton conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

I'm buying a new build house in Beacon Hill benefiting from help to buy. The builders refused to budge the amount so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent advised me not reveal to my solicitor about the extras as it will jeopardize my mortgage with the lender. 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 am attracted to a couple of flats in Beacon Hill which have approximately fifty years unexpired on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Beacon Hill is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it reduces the marketability of the property. The majority of purchasers and banks, leases with under eighty years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a property with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Beacon Hill conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I purchased a ground floor flat in Beacon Hill, conveyancing was carried out 3 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Beacon Hill with over 90 years remaining are worth £255,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease finishes on 21st October 2100

With just 74 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £8,600 and £9,800 plus legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.