I have given 2 months notice to my existing landlord and must be out of my let out apartment in Chesterton by the end of next month. Conveyancing for my house purchase has just started. How realistic is it to complete in three weeks as I wish to avoid having to move into temporary accommodation?

It is unwise to provide notice for your lease until your lawyer suggests that you should. Assuming that you have not already done so, update to your solicitor and urge them to they apply pressure on the other solicitors, try to get a realistic time scale from them that all parties will look to achieve

It is a dozen years since I purchased my house in Chesterton. Conveyancing solicitors have just been retained on the sale but I am unable to track down my deeds. Is this a problem?

You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be with the lender or they could still be with the lawyers who handled the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Chesterton relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it is more problematic but is not insurmountable.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £305k and identified one near me in Chesterton I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, however it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Chesterton in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a mortgage that many years may be an issue. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you could request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.

We're first time buyers - had an offer accepted, but the agent told us that the vendor will only go ahead if we use their preferred conveyancers as they want a ‘quick sale’. We would rather use a family conveyancer with experience of conveyancing in Chesterton

We suspect that the owner is unaware of this ultimatum. Should the vendor desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a motivated buyer is likely to cause more damage than good. Speak to the vendors direct and make the point that (a)you are serious purchasers (b)you are ready to go, with finances in place © you do not need to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you are going to use your own,trusted Chesterton conveyancing lawyers - as opposed tothe ones that will earn the estate agent a introducer fee or meet his conveyancing figures set by head office.

I would like to sublet my leasehold apartment in Chesterton. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Even though your previous Chesterton conveyancing lawyer is no longer available you can check your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the premises. The rule is that if the lease is silent, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you need to seek consent via your landlord or some other party in advance of subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet in the absence of prior permission. Such consent must not not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease prohibits you from letting out the property you will need to ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Chesterton Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Generally speaking the cost for major works tend not to be included within service charges, although some managing agents in Chesterton require leaseholders to pay into a sinking fund created for the specific intention of establishing a fund for major works. The prefered form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this situation the lessees have being in charge if their destiny and although a managing agent is usually employed if it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. Who is in charge of the building?