In the event thatI were to acquire a straightforward housein Cheshire for cash and dispense with a survey and no conveyancing searches how much would I expect to to save on my conveyancing in Cheshire?

The only reduction in fees you would make on is the disbursement for searches. The conveyancer still be obliged to do everything else - money laundering, correspond with your sellers conveyancing practitioner, SDLT submission, register the property etc. A slight saving might be made by not having to register a charge however it will not be meaningful.

We are purchasing a property and need a conveyancing solicitor in Cheshire who is on the Barclays conveyancing panel. Can you recommend a local solicitor?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Barclays . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Cheshire.

I decided to have a survey completed on a house in Cheshire prior to appointing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor advised that some mortgage companies will not grant a mortgage on a flying freehold premises.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different instructions for example to Halifax. Should you wish to telephone us we can investigate further with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Cheshire. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

I have just started marketing my garden flat in Cheshire. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, but I have just had a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you discharge the invoice as normal because all rents and service invoices should be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I inherited a studio flat in Cheshire, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Cheshire with an extended lease are worth £202,000. The ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2081

With 56 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £29,500 and £34,000 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range above 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. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

Partway through the sale of a leasehold flat in Cheshire. Conveyancing is fine but we are being charged a fortune from the landlord. So far we have issued a cheque for £225 for a leasehold management pack and then another £117.20 for responses to queries supplied by the buyers solicitor.

Your solicitor will unlikely have any sway over the level of the bill for this information however the typical costs for the information for Cheshire leasehold property is £380. When it comes to Cheshire conveyancing transactions it is usual for the vendor to cover the costs. The landlord or their agents are not duty bound to answer such questions most will be content to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Regretfully there is no law that mandates fixed fees for administrative tasks. Nor is there any legal time limit by which they are required to issue the information.