I was notified yesterday by my mortgage broker that my Bosham solicitor is not on the lender Solicitor panel. How can I be certain if this is indeed the case?

You need to contact your Bosham lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to notify you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the conveyancing panel for your bank.

We hope to to purchase with Darlington Building Society. We have called around locally yet cant to find a Bosham conveyancing firm on the Darlington Building Society approved list. Could you help?

Please do take advantage of the search tool on this web page. Please choose the building society and type Bosham or your preferred area and you will be presented with a number of lawyer based in Bosham or nearest you.

I have been sourcing a conveyancing solicitor in Bosham for my home move. Is it possible to check a solicitor's record with the legal regulator?

Anyone can review documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For records Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors history, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator sometimes recorded call for training reasons.

I am looking at a couple of flats in Bosham which have about fifty years remaining on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Bosham is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it reduces the marketability of the property. For most buyers and lenders, leases with less than 75 years become less and less attractive. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a property with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Bosham conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I invested in buying a basement flat in Bosham, conveyancing was carried out in 1996. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Bosham with over 90 years remaining are worth £222,000. The ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease ends on 21st October 2095

With just 71 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to range between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.

I am due to assess quotes for conveyancing in Bosham from numerous conveyancing practitioner and appoint one. Am I right to tell them to hold tight until I I have an offer accepted on a flat.

You should wait to request your property lawyer to start work and order searches once the offer has been agreed to on the property particularly as Bosham conveyancing searches are costly.