I have been told that property searches are the primary cause of delay in Gravesend house deals. Is that correct?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the top 10 causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Searches are not likely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in Gravesend.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on two weeks back in what should have been a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Gravesend is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Gravesend are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Gravesend you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Gravesend may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.

What tools are available to identify a Gravesend law firm on the Godiva Mortgages Ltd conveyancing panel? I am a keen cyclist and am prepared to travel upto 10kilometers to meet the conveyancer.

Feel free to make use of the search on this website. Please pick a mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Gravesend conveyancing lawyers located nearest you. We have detailed some Gravesend conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can telephone them to verify whether they are on the Godiva Mortgages Ltd panel

We're new to the buying process - agreed a price, but the estate agent advised that the seller will only proceed if we instruct the agent's recommended lawyers as they want an ‘expedited deal’. My instinct tells me that we should use a local solicitor accustomed to conveyancing in Gravesend

It is highly unlikely the sellers are behind this. Should the owner desire ‘a quick sale', alienating a motivated buyer is likely to cause more damage than good. Avoid the agents and go straight to the owners and make the point that (a)you are serious purchasers (b)you are ready to progress, with finances arranged © you are chain free (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you will continue to appoint your preferred Gravesend conveyancing lawyers - rather thanthose that will give the estate agent a kickback or achieve conveyancing thresholds pre-set by HQ.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to be perfect, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just found out that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Gravesend. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Gravesend are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Gravesend so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Gravesend conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the freeholder’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer should appraise you on the various issues.

I bought a 1st floor flat in Gravesend, conveyancing having been completed April 2009. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding properties in Gravesend with over 90 years remaining are worth £201,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease finishes on 21st October 2088

With just 64 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £14,300 and £16,400 plus costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. 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 should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.