I sincerely hope you can help me. My Biddenham conveyancer is advising me that he is legally obliged toapply for Biddenham conveyancing searches asthe firm are on the Virgin Moneysolicitor panel. These Biddenham checks cost a lot of money can this be avoided?

You have limited options available to you. Given that you are taking out a loan with a mortgage company your solicitor has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your property lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook requirements . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Biddenham conveyancing searches.

In what way does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Biddenham? Is this really warranted?

To satisfy the Money Laundering Regulations any Biddenham conveyancing firm will require evidence of your identity in all conveyancing transactions. This is normally satisfied by provision of a passport and an original bank statement or utility bill showing where you live.

In accordance with Money Laundering Regulations, conveyancing solicitors are required to investigate not simply the identity of conveyancing clients but also the source of the money that they receive in respect of any matter. An unwillingness to disclose this will result in your conveyancer ending their retainer with you, as clearly this will cause a conflict between the set Regulations and a refusal to disclose.

Your property lawyers are duty bound to notify the relevant authorities should they consider that any amounts received by them may contravene the Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules.

Is it necessary to pay for insurance to cover chancel repairs when acquiring a property in Biddenham?

Unless a previous acquisition of the property completed post 12 October 2013 you can expect solicitors conducting conveyancing in Biddenham to continue to recommend a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.

I have recently realised that I have 62 years unexpired on my lease in Biddenham. I now want to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What are my options?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order 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. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to find the landlord. In some cases an enquiry agent would be helpful to conduct investigations and to produce a report which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Biddenham.

I bought a garden flat in Biddenham, conveyancing was carried out 8 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Biddenham with a long lease are worth £171,000. The ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2103

With 79 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £8,600 and £9,800 plus legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

I have just placed an offer on a leasehold flat in Biddenham and the broker that we are dealing with recommended his conveyancer. He quoted £900 excluding VAT and disbursements. Does this sound steep?

Don't just go on 1 quote. You should obtain like-for-like quotes for your conveyancing in Biddenham. Then choose one that you are comfortable with and crucially, is on the approved list of the lender that you are sourcing your mortgage from.