Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Fishponds in advance of appointing lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. The surveyor has said that some mortgage companies tend not issue a mortgage on a flying freehold home.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different instructions from Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can check via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Fishponds. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Fishponds to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

Taking into account that I am about to part with hundreds of thousands of pounds on a terraced house in Fishponds I would like to have a conversation with the conveyancer regarding thehome move in advance of appointing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

Absolutely - we would be delighted to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you first talking to the solicitor due to be doing your property ownership legalities in Fishponds.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is an important individual, not a file reference. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are quoted for your conveyancing in Fishponds should be the amount on the final invoice that you are charged.

Should I appoint a Fishponds conveyancing lawyer in close proximity to the house I am hoping to buy? An old friend can perform the legal formalities but his firm is located 200kilometers drive away.

The primary upside of using a local Fishponds conveyancing firm is that you can attend the office to execute documents, present your ID and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local insight which is a plus. That being said it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have used your friend and the majority were content that must outweigh using an unknown Fishponds conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being Fishponds based.

What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Fishponds conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Fishponds conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Fishponds conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be helpful:

What volume of lease extensions have they carried out in Fishponds in the last year? How familiar is the firm with lease extension legislation?

Fishponds Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

Is anyone aware of any major works in the planning that could add a premium to the maintenance charges? What prohibitions are there in the Fishponds Lease?

I pay a service charge for my first floor flat in Fishponds. As a result of personal circumstances I fell behind with payments. I negotiated a settlement plan but there is still two outstanding at the current time.

I now wish to dispose of the property and I am nervous that this could threaten to derail the sale if I have to settle the arrears first. Do I have to settle before - is this possible?

You should check with the solicitor dealing with your Fishponds conveyancing but one option could be to arrange for the arrears to be transferred to the purchasers. The final price they pay would be reduced to reflect the amount of debt they assume. They would then discharge the outstanding monies once they are the owners.