It is not clear whether my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called into my local Herne Bay bank branch on a couple of occasions and was advised it wasn't a problem and they will lend. My Herne Bay conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they will not lend based on their published requirements. Who do I believe?

As long as the solicitor is on the lender panel, she or he must adhere to the CML Handbook conditions for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company 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 bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

I am due to exchange contracts on my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in October 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Leeds Building Society are being problematic. The Herne Bay solicitor who is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Leeds Building Society are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Leeds Building Society have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Leeds Building Society have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Leeds Building Society 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.

Nationwide have agreed my home loan in principle, my offer on a property in Herne Bay has been agreed to, now what?

Your estate agent will want to be advised as to your conveyancing practitioner's details (make sure the property lawyers are on the bank’s approved list). Call up Nationwide or your broker and finish off any appropriate documentation. Nationwide will sellect a valuer who will get in contact with the selling agent or seller to schedule a time for the valuation to occur. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes on average a week for the mortgage offer to be issued. Nationwide will send the offer to you and your property lawyers. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Herne Bay.

I am intent on selling our home in Herne Bay and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was constructed on contaminated land. Any local conveyancer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the purchasers used a national conveyancing firm rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Herne Bay. Having lived in Herne Bay for 5 years we know that this is a non issue. Do we contact our local Authority to get confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. What do they say? You must enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)

How does conveyancing in Herne Bay differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Herne Bay approach us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is finished. This is because house builders in Herne Bay usually purchase the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Herne Bay or who has acted in the same development.

I’m about to sell my 2 bed apartment in Herne Bay. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, but I have recently received a half-yearly service charge invoice – what should I do?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge the maintenance contribution as normal given that all rents and maintenance charges should be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I acquired a leasehold flat in Herne Bay, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Herne Bay with over 90 years remaining are worth £179,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2081

With only 57 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £26,600 and £30,800 plus professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

We are in the middle of purchasing a property in Herne Bay. Conveyancing lawyer has told us the title is "Leasehold". Should this adversely affect the salability of the property?

Herne Bay conveyancing does not in most situations involve leasehold houses. The main factor here is the length of lease and the ground rent. If it's 999 years with a nominal rent, it's virtually freehold, so it’s unlikely to affect the marketability too much.

At the other extreme, if it's, say, Sixty years it is bound to have a adverse impact on the value, and probably wouldn't be acceptable to the mortgage company. The length of lease and ground rent will be stated in the lease which should be made available to your conveyancing practitioner.