It is 10 years ago since I bought my home in Duxford. Conveyancing solicitors have just been instructed on the sale but I am unable to track down the deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

Don’t worry too much. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be with your mortgage company or they may be archived with the solicitor who handled your purchase. Secondly the chances are that the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers acquiring current official copies of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Duxford relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.

I am refinancing my property in Duxford, does my lawyer need to be on the Aldermore Conveyancing panel?

In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the Aldermore conveyancing panel, but Aldermore would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same conveyancing matter.

The deeds to our home are lost. The conveyancers who did the conveyancing in Duxford 4 years ago have long since closed. What are my options?

Nowadays there are copies made of almost everything, and your conveyancer will be aware exactly where to find all the suitable documentation so you may buy or dispose of your property without a hitch. Where copies can’t be located, your lawyer can arrange cover in the form of insurance or indemnities against possible claims on the property.

I am buying a new build flat in Duxford. Conveyancing is daunting 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 conveyancing.

Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Duxford

The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. 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. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. 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.

I was pointed in your direction by a number of selling agents in Duxford to locate a solicitor using your seach tool. What’s the financial upside for Estate Agents to recommend your lawyers over and above another?

We refuse to make any referral fee for pointing buyers and sellers our way. We found it would be just too difficult a fee because a client could think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.