We are about to sign contracts for a semi detached house in Shadwell. We have hit a stumbling block. Our loan offer with Leeds Building Society runs out on 4/2/2026 but the owners are suggesting a completion date of 6/2/2026. Is it possible to extend the mortgage offer?

The best person to deal with your concern is your solicitors who will assess whether they should be discussing with the mortgage company, seller’s representatives, estate agents or conceivably all three taking into account the history of your house move to date.

We are selling our home in Shadwell and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built on contaminated land. Any high street Shadwell conveyancer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers instructed an internet conveyancing firm rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Shadwell. We have lived in Shadwell for many years we know that this is a non issue. Should we contact our local Authority to obtain confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You need to check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same ailment)

About to purchase a new build flat in Shadwell. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Shadwell

If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Please supply a car parking plan.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Shadwell I like with a park and railway links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Shadwell in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a home loan that many years may be problematic. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least twenty four months you can ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.

We own a leasehold flat in Shadwell. Conveyancing was finished in five years ago. I have heard that I should not allow the lease length fall too low. What is the reasoning?

Shadwell domestic long term leases are for a set period - normally ninety nine years when they commenced. However many flats in Shadwell were built or converted 25 or more years ago and so these leases now have under 80 years unexpired. This may seem like a long time however Banks, Building Societies and other mortgage companies tend to need leases to have a minimum of 75 years remaining to be mortgageable. Accordingly when you come to sell the property you will need a lease extension if you are approaching 75 years. To increase your property value you should be considering whether to extend your lease well in advance of selling the property. Furthermore significant benefits to taking action before the lease hits eighty years as when the lease falls below 80 years the amount to be paid to extend starts to escalate.