We're in Dawley and Lawley, FTBs buying with a mortgage (lender is Kent Reliance , and our solicitor is on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no conveyancing practitioner should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

I used Action Conveyancing a few years ago for my conveyancing in Dawley and Lawley. Now, I need my files but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Dawley and Lawley of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build apartment in Dawley and Lawley. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Here is a sample of a few leasehold new build questions that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Dawley and Lawley

Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified.

Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Dawley and Lawley before instructing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. My surveyor has said that some banks will not issue a loan on such a home.

It varies from the lender to lender. HSBC has different instructions from Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can check with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Dawley and Lawley. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Dawley and Lawley. Before I get started I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and most are in Dawley and Lawley - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I purchased a basement flat in Dawley and Lawley, conveyancing was carried out in 2004. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar flats in Dawley and Lawley with an extended lease are worth £180,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2083

With only 58 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £22,800 and £26,400 plus costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.