My wife and I are purchasing a property in Corston. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a solicitor? At some point we have to deposit our life savings into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our deposit?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

Are all Corston Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Kent Reliance conveyancing list of approved solicitors?

A selection of banks and building societies now utilise CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to join their approved list of firms.

We expect to receive a DIP from HSBC this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do HSBC recommend any Corston solicitors on the HSBC conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Corston solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the HSBC conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and HSBC through the process.

I have been told that property searches are a common reason for obstruction in Corston conveyancing transactions. Is this right?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the top 10 causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Searches are not likely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in Corston.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and found one close by in Corston I like with open areas and railway links nearby, however it only has 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Corston for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a mortgage that many years may be an issue. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

I am looking for a conveyancing lawyer in Corston for my home move. Is it possible to see a firm’s complaints history with the profession’s regulator?

Anyone may read documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from inquisitions commenced on or after Jan 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For records Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors record, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For callers outside the UK, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA could recorded call for training reasons.

I am looking at a two flats in Corston which have about 50 years unexpired on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Corston is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it reduces the value of the premises. The majority of purchasers and banks, leases with under 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property 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 Corston conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending 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 the agreed 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.

Corston Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

Plenty Corston leasehold flats will incur a service bill for the upkeep of the block set by the freeholder. Where you buy the apartment you will have to pay this contribution, usually quarterly accross the year. This can vary from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built buildings. There will also be a rentcharge to be met yearly, normally this is not a significant figure, say about £50-£100 but you should to enquire it because on occasion it can be prohibitively expensive. How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their maintenance charge payments? The best form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this situation the lessees benefit from being in charge if their destiny and notwithstanding that a managing agent is usually employed where the building is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent employed by the leaseholders.