My wife and I are buying a new build duplex in Portsmouth and my lawyer is informing me that she is duty bound to the bank to disclose incentives from the seller. I am under pressure to exchange contracts and I don't want to prolong matters. Is my lawyer right?
You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your solicitor. A precondition to being on a bank panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions. The UK Finance Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
We note that you have a post code search directory identifying law firms on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a referral fee if I appoint them for our conveyancing in Portsmouth?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Co-operative conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Portsmouth.
Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Portsmouth. My lender is Tesco Bank
Tesco Bank have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 18/10/2026, the requirements read as follows :
I have been told that property searches are the number one cause of obstruction in Portsmouth conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the top 10 causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Searches are unlikely to feature in any holding up conveyancing in Portsmouth.
I used Stirling Law a few years past for my conveyancing in Portsmouth. Now, I need my documents but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Portsmouth of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I've found a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Portsmouth. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?
The majority of houses in Portsmouth are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Portsmouth in which case you should be looking for a Portsmouth conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will advise you fully on all the issues.
I inherited a ground floor flat in Portsmouth, conveyancing was carried out in 2010. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Equivalent properties in Portsmouth with a long lease are worth £195,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2089
With only 63 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £16,200 and £18,600 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.