Having been suggested to visit your organisation we were about to appoint conveyancing solicitor in Great Ayton endorsed on your site but have come across some other fee calculations via the web seem less pricey – why is this?

There are hundreds of conveyancing companies marketing theoretically looks to be cut price. You should think long and hard about how important this transaction is to you that you are willing to take 'cheap' risks concerning the standard of the conveyancing. Many of them list a budget quote as a headline but hide additional fees in the small print..

My wife and I are buying a house in Great Ayton. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a solicitor? On completion day we will need to put money into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our money?

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.

If you had a top tip for selecting a conveyancing solicitor in Great Ayton what would it be?

We would encourage you not to go for the cheapest Great Ayton conveyancing quote. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of the deal.

I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in May 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Aldermore are being difficult. The Great Ayton solicitor who is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Aldermore are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Aldermore have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Aldermore have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Aldermore may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

I'm buying my first flat in Great Ayton with a mortgage from National Westminster Bank. The developers would not move on the amount so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The sale representative told me not to tell my conveyancer about the side-deal as it could put at risk my mortgage with National Westminster Bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

Is it best to use a Great Ayton conveyancing practitioner based in the vicinity that I am buying? We have a good friend who can deal with the legal work but her office is a couple of hundredkilometers away.

The primary upside of using a local Great Ayton conveyancing firm is that you can drop in to execute paperwork, deliver your ID and apply pressure on them where appropriate. Having local Great Ayton know how is a bonus. However it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust used your friend and the majority were impressed that should surpass using an unknown Great Ayton conveyancing solicitor just because they are based in the area.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have just been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Great Ayton. Conveyancing solicitors have are about to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Great Ayton are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Great Ayton in which case you should be shopping around for a Great Ayton conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

I acquired a leasehold flat in Great Ayton, conveyancing having been completed February 1998. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Great Ayton with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease expires on 21st October 2078

With 54 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £32,300 and £37,400 as well as professional fees.

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 comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously 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.