We have agreed to purchase a house in East Grinstead. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Bank of Ireland be concerned?

As your lender is Bank of Ireland your lawyer must check the formal instructions set out in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Bank of Ireland. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook includes minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Bank of Ireland where a lease fails to satisfy these provisions. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not restricted to East Grinstead.

It is not clear whether my lender obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have telephoned my East Grinstead bank branch on various occasions and was told it wasn't a problem and they will lend. My East Grinstead conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- called to say that they refuse to lend based on their specific requirements. I simply don't know who is right.

Provided that the property lawyer is on the bank panel, she or he must adhere to the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook conditions for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

After much negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in East Grinstead. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their property lawyer. I paid an on account payment of £150. Soon after, the conveyancing practitioner called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Bank of Ireland panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I require expedited conveyancing in East Grinstead as I have pressure to exchange contracts inside one month. Fortunately I do not require a mortgage. Is it possible to escape the need for conveyancing searches to save money and time?

As you are are a cash buyer you are at free not to have searches conducted although no law firm would recommend that you don't. With lots of history conveyancing in East Grinstead the following are instances of issues that can crop up and adversely impact market value: Refused Planning Applications, Overdue Fees, Outstanding Grants, Unadopted Roads,...

How difficult is it to switch conveyancer as I have to retain a firm on the HSBC Bank conveyancing list. I hired a family conveyancing solicitor in East Grinstead five minutes from me but the firm is not approved by HSBC Bank

We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in East Grinstead on the HSBC Bank panel. Please note that the property lawyers that we list do not pay us commission if you instruct them and are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who regulate all conveyancing solicitors in East Grinstead. In making use of search facility on this site, you can compare and instruct different solicitors and conveyancers both nationally and in East Grinstead.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in East Grinstead. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in East Grinstead are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area who can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in East Grinstead in which case you should be shopping around for a East Grinstead conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor will report to you on the legal implications.

I acquired a garden flat in East Grinstead, conveyancing was carried out in 2010. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Corresponding properties in East Grinstead with a long lease are worth £190,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2086

With only 62 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £17,100 and £19,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

We own a leasehold flat in East Grinstead. Conveyancing was finalised in 21012. I have read on numerous advice forums that I mustn’t let the lease length fall too low. What is the reasoning?

East Grinstead residential long term leases are for a set term - normally just under one hundred years when they commenced. However many flats in East Grinstead were built or converted in the 70’s80’s and so these leases now have fewer than 80 years remaining. This may sound like plenty of time however Banks, Building Societies and other mortgage institutions tend to require leases to have at least seventy five years unexpired to be mortgageable. Accordingly when you come to sell the property you will need a lease extension if you are approaching eighty years. To increase your property value you should be thinking about whether to extend your lease well in advance of selling the property. Please note that there are strong financial reasons to doing so before the lease hits eighty years as when the lease falls below 80 years the amount to be paid to extend starts to escalate.