Me and my partner are acquiring our first home. The conveyancer has calledto check if we want to purchase additional conveyancing searches. Frankly we have no idea as to what's appropriate for conveyancing in Alsager

The scope of Alsager conveyancing searches depends primarily on the premises, the location, the possibility of any of these risks, your knowledge of the area and risks, your overall approach to risk. What is important is that you adequately understand what information each search could supply. Then you can make a decision if you consider that you need that search. Should you be uncertain, ask the conveyancing practitioner to offer guidance.

My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Alsager. Conveyancing is required. What happens now?

Now that you are legally bound yourself to purchase you now have to retain a conveyancing practitioner quickly as you are faced with a fast approaching deadline in which to complete the deal. An auction property will have a corresponding auction set of papers. This will likely include evidence of title and search results. If you have purchased leasehold property the legal papers may contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing documentation pertinent to leasehold premises. You must pass this on to your appointed conveyancing solicitor ASAP. Do make sure that your finances are organised to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

My husband and I are in the throws of looking at apartments in Alsager and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it premature to have a solicitor in place? I am planning to take a home loan with Kent Reliance.

It would be prudent to start your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their contact information on to the estate agent. As you are getting a mortgage with Kent Reliance, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel.

Having read lots of house buying guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Alsager solicitor - who is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

Co-operative will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Co-operative will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Alsager surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

I need some quick conveyancing in Alsager as I have pressure to sign on the dotted line within 3 weeks. A mortgage is not required. Is it possible to escape the need for conveyancing searches to save fees and time?

If.Given you are not obtaining a mortgage you have the choice not to have searches conducted although no law firm would advise that you don't. With plenty of history conveyancing in Alsager the following are instances of issues that can be revealed and therefore affect future mortgageability: Refused Planning Applications, Overdue Charges, Overdue Grants, Railway Schemes,...

How does conveyancing in Alsager differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Alsager come to us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is ready to move into. This is because house builders in Alsager tend to acquire the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Alsager or who has acted in the same development.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my garden apartment in Alsager. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, but I have just received a yearly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should pay the service charge as normal given that all rents and maintenance invoices will be allotted on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I bought a 1st floor flat in Alsager, conveyancing having been completed 3 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar properties in Alsager with an extended lease are worth £265,000. The ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2100

With 76 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £8,600 and £9,800 plus costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.