Me and my partner are buying a flat in Feltwell. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a conveyancer? On the day of competition we will need to deposit money into their account. What is the protection 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.

My fiancee and I are spending time looking at houses in Feltwell and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it sensible to have my property lawyer on ‘stand by’? I am planning to take a home loan with Santander.

It would be wise to commence your search sooner rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the EA. Given that you are seeking a mortgage with Santander, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Feltwell. I have a mortgage agreed with Co-operative. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Co-operative, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Co-operative conveyancing panel.

What does a local search inform me concerning the house we're buying in Feltwell?

Feltwell conveyancing often starts with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search company for example Onsearch The local search is essential in every Feltwell conveyancing purchase; that is if you wish to avoid any unpleasant once you have moved into your property. The search should reveal data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 subject areas.

Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Feltwell before retaining solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. Our surveyor has said that some lenders tend refuse to issue a mortgage on this type of property.

It varies from the lender to lender. HSBC has different requirements for example to Halifax. Should you wish to call us we can investigate further with the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Feltwell. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Feltwell. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I bought a basement flat in Feltwell, conveyancing having been completed 7 years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Feltwell with a long lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2077

With 53 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £27,600 and £31,800 as well as professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

Do I stop my mortgage payments with UBS as soon as a completion date for my home sale in Feltwell has been agreed?

You are best advised to keep paying any mortgage sums to UBS until the mortgage is redeemed on completion as part of your Feltwell conveyancing.