The sellers of the house we are purchasing hired a conveyancing firm in Church Village who has suggested a lock out agreement with a non-refundable deposit of 5k. Is it wise to enter into such agreements?

This type of agreement is unusual in Church Village, conveyancers are often inclined to veer clients away from them as they divert attention from the primary objective, namely conveyancing and if you end up having your deposit forfeited then the solicitor is left exposed. Furthermore, there is no assurance that just because the seller has entered into a lock out contract they will complete the sale with you. They may breach the contract if they receive a big enough financial inducement to do so because an aggrieved claimant with the benefit of a exclusivity agreement will still have to establish consequential losses from the breach and these may not compare to the extra amount that your vendor may gain by reneging on the agreement, however morally unworthy the behaviour is.

I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Church Village. My lender is Nationwide Building Society

Nationwide Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 27/1/2026, the requirements read as follows :

I am purchasing a new build house in Church Village benefiting from help to buy. The sellers refused to budge the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The estate agent told me not reveal to my solicitor about this deal as it will jeopardize my mortgage with Bank of Ireland. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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.

In what way does the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my commercial offices in Church Village and how can your lawyers assist?

The 1954 Act affords protection to commercial tenants, granting the right to apply to court for a renewal tenancy and continue in occupation at the end of the lease term. There are limited grounds that a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are complicated. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Church Village is one of our numerous areas of the UK in which the firms we work with have offices

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Church Village from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Church Village can be avoided where you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers’ representatives.
If there is a history of conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over rather than unresolved. A minority of Church Village leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors. If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Church Village leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such works. Should you fail to have the paperwork in place do not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer before hand. The majority of landlords or managing agents in Church Village charge for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Church Village.

I acquired a leasehold flat in Church Village, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2008. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable flats in Church Village with an extended lease are worth £176,000. The ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease runs out on 21st October 2106

With only 80 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £7,600 and £8,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.