Anyone else's solicitor telling them to wait a year for an EWS1?
I’m a first-time buyer currently in the middle of buying a flat in a 12-storey "relevant building.".
The Situation:
The building has known cladding and cavity barrier issues. The landlord and the original developer have formally committed to fixing everything at zero cost to leaseholders. In a letter for remediation assurance. Good to go for the lender and we got our mortgage accepted using that letter.
However:
• There is no EWS1 form available right now. because the works haven’t started yet. we just had a letter to say no costs to leaseholds to obtain EWS1
• The landlord confirmed an EWS1 will only be issued after the works are finished.
• There isn't even a start date for the repairs yet, so we’re looking at a year or more of waiting.
The Legal Deadlock:
My solicitor is strongly recommending that we do not exchange until we see the full fire safety reports (PAS 9980) and the EWS1. She’s worried about "future mortgageability"—basically, that even if my current lender is happy, a future buyer’s lender might not be.
Why I want to ignore the advice:
My current lenderhas already reviewed the situation and is happy to provide the mortgage based on the remediation assurance letter. I'm satisfied that the legal protections mean I won't be hit with the bill, and I don't want to stay in my rental for another year waiting for a piece of paper.