Will conveyancers request an advanced payment when it comes to conveyancing in Berkshire?

If you are buying a property in Berkshire your solicitor will request that you place them with funds to cover the search fees. Normally this is asked for to cover the fees of the Local Authority Search. If any deposit is as part of the sale price then this should be required immediately before exchange of contracts. The closing balance that is due should be transferred shortly before completion.

A friend recommended that where I am purchasing in Berkshire I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is usually quoted for as part of the standard Berkshire conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Berkshire around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Berkshire Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Berkshire.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my property are lost. The solicitors who dealt with the conveyancing in Berkshire 5 years ago have long since closed. What are my next steps?

Assuming you have a registered title the information relating to your ownership will be evidenced by HMLR with a Title Number. It is possible to carry out a search at the Land Registry, identify your property and order current copies of the property title for a small fee. If the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will in most cases hold a file duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for twenty pounds.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £245,000 and identified one near me in Berkshire I like with open areas and station in the vicinity, however it's only got 61 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Berkshire in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?

If you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease will be an issue. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for at least 2 years you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.

Are there any compelling benefits to using a local property lawyer in Berkshire

Home movers in Berkshire select a nearby high street solicitor so that they can visit if they have questions, and to sign paperwork without using the Royal Mail.

There is a marginal advantage in selecting a conveyancer local to a premises you are planning to purchase, due to the in-depth knowledge of the locality and possible local issues - but this is moot. Most conveyancers conduct their communications through email and could be based anywhere.