We are about to sign contracts for a ground floor flat in Park Hill. We have hit a stumbling block. The loan offer with Alliance & Leicester expires on 23/3/2026 but the sellers are suggesting a completion date of 25/3/2026. Is it possible to prolong the mortgage expiry date?

The person best placed to deal with your concern is your solicitors who will hopefully assess whether they should be discussing with the mortgage broker, vendor’s solicitors, property agents or indeed all three taking into account what has gone on in your transaction as of today.

Should my solicitor be raising enquiries concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Park Hill.

Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors dealing with homes in Park Hill. Some people will acquire a house in Park Hill, fully aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, suitable insurance cover, or sell the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Solicitors are not qualified to give advice on flood risk, however there are a number of checks that can be initiated by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which can figure out the risks in Park Hill. The conventional set of property information forms sent to a buyer’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) contains a standard question of the seller to find out whether the property has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not revealed by the seller, then a purchaser could commence a compensation claim as a result of such an incorrect reply. The purchaser’s solicitors will also carry out an enviro search. This should reveal whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries should be made.

Taking into account that I am about to spend over three hundred thousand on a two bedroom apartment in Park Hill I would like to have a conversation with the solicitor regarding thehome move before appointing the firm. Can this be arranged?

This is something that we encourage - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the conveyancer who will be doing your conveyancing in Park Hill.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is an important individual, not a case reference. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are provided with for your conveyancing in Park Hill should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.

Am I best advised to instruct a Park Hill conveyancing lawyer who is local to the property I am hoping to buy? We have a good friend who can perform the conveyancing however they are based over three hundred kilometers drive away.

The benefit of a local Park Hill conveyancing firm is that you can drop in to execute documents, present your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local intelligence which is a plus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have instructed your friend and in the main were content that must outweigh using an unfamiliar Park Hill conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being Park Hill based.

There are only Seventy years unexpired on my lease in Park Hill. I now want to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What are my options?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be extended by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to track down the landlord. For most situations an enquiry agent would be helpful to carry out a search and to produce a report to be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer in relation to proving the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Park Hill.

Park Hill Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Is there a share of the freehold? How much is the annual service fee and ground rent? What prohibitions are contained in the Park Hill Lease?