My conveyancer has uncovered a a legal deficiency with the lease for the apartment we are purchasing in Aigburth. The other side have put forward title insurance as a solution. We are content with insurance and will pay for it. Our solicitor says that he must be satisfied that the mortgage company is willing to move forward with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the mortgage company ?

Regardless of the fact that you have a mortgage offer from the lender does not mean to say that the property will meet their provisions for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. You and the bank are the client. The appropriate lender specifications must be adhered to.

My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Aigburth. Conveyancing is needed. What are my next steps?

Now that you are for in every practical sense signed on the dotted line you must appoint a conveyancing lawyer as a matter of priority as you are facing a pending a fixed date to complete the deal. Every auction property will ordinarily have a bespoke auction pack. This should include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. Where you are dealing with leasehold property the legal papers may contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing paperwork specific to a leasehold property. You should hand this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor at the earliest opportunity. You also need to ensure that your finances are organised to complete on the date specified in the contract.

My husband and I have arranged the release of further monies on our home loan from Barclays as we wish to carry out renovations to our home in Aigburth. Are we obliged to appoint a nearby Aigburth solicitor on the Barclays conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?

Barclays don't usually appoint a member of their approved list of lawyers to handle the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Barclays list.

We expect to receive a DIP from Lloyds this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Lloyds recommend any Aigburth solicitors on the Lloyds conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Aigburth solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Lloyds through the process.

A colleague recommended that where I am buying in Aigburth I should ask my conveyancer to execute a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is usually quoted for as part of the standard Aigburth conveyancing searches. It is a large report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing important information about Aigburth around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Aigburth Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Aigburth.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Seventy years remaining on my flat in Aigburth. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is absent. What should I do?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have used your best endeavours to track down the landlord. In some cases a specialist would be useful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document to be used as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Aigburth.

I inherited a studio flat in Aigburth, conveyancing formalities finalised 8 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in Aigburth with over 90 years remaining are worth £185,000. The ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2085

With just 61 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £18,100 and £20,800 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

Are there any distinct advantages to using a high street conveyancer in Aigburth

Home movers in Aigburth choose a nearby high street conveyancing practitioner so that they can pop into the lawyer’s offices in the event that they have questions, and to sign mortgage deeds without using the Royal Mail.

There is a distinct edge when opting for a property lawyer nearby to the house you are purchasing, due to the familiarity of the region and potential local concerns - nevertheless this is debatable. The majority of conveyancers are now via the web and could be any place in the world.