I am assisting my sister sell her flat in Chester le Street. Does the conveyancer arrange an EPC or it is for the owner to coordinate?

After the abolition of Home Packs, energy assessments was maintained a required part of moving house. An energy assessment should be to hand prior to the property being advertised. This is not a task that solicitors ordinarily organise. Where you are using a Chester le Street conveyancing solicitor they may be able to arrange EPC’s due to their contacts with long established local energy assessors

My wife and I buying a end of terrace house in Chester le Street. The intention is to carry out a loft conversion at the house.Will legal investigations on the property involve enquiries to ascertain if these works are allowed?

Your conveyancer will check the registered title as conveyancing in Chester le Street will on occasion reveal restrictions in the title documents which restrict categories of works or necessitated the permission of a 3rd party. Many works require local authority planning permissions and approval in accordance building regulations. Many areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

I'm in the process of looking at flats in Chester le Street and I am about to put in an offer. Is it sensible to have my conveyancer on ‘stand by’? I am planning to take a home loan with Nationwide.

It would be prudent to commence your search sooner rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the EA. As you are obtaining a mortgage with Nationwide, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Nationwide conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

I own a semi-detached Georgian property in Chester le Street. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Godiva Mortgages Ltd. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the matching property. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Chester le Street and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also enquire as to the position with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the work.

My uncle has urged me to use his conveyancing solicitors in Chester le Street. Do I take his guidance?

There are no two ways about it the best way to choose a conveyancing practitioner is to get guidance from friends or family who have experience in using the firm that you are are thinking of instructing.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two flats in Chester le Street both have approximately forty five years left on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As a lease shortens the saleability of the lease reduces and results in it becoming more expensive to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is often a good idea to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage companies may be unwilling to lend money on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We advise that you get professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this area.

I acquired a ground floor flat in Chester le Street, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Chester le Street with a long lease are worth £197,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2079

With just 55 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £31,400 and £36,200 plus professional fees.

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

How and when do I pay the Stamp Duty Land Tax due for my Chester le Street house purchase?

The conveyancer will complete a stamp duty return for you as part of your Chester le Street conveyancing transaction for you to sign. After completion your solicitor will submit the STL application to the Tax Authorities and - assuming they have the funds - settle any tax bill payable on your behalf.