I have just been advised by my broker that my Heysham lawyer is not on the bank Conveyancing panel. How can I be sure whether this is correct?

The sensible course of action for you to take is to contact your Heysham conveyancer. You lawyer should notify you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the conveyancing panel for your lender.

I have given 8 weeks notice to my existing landlord and have to vacate my rented flat in Heysham by the end of next month. Conveyancing for my house purchase is underway. Can I complete in a couple of weeks as don't want to have to move into short term accommodation?

The normal practice is not to provide notice on a rental unless your lawyer suggests that you should. Assuming that you have not previously done so, notify to your conveyancer and urge them to they chase the sellers side, try to a target completion date that everyone will aim to achieve

My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Heysham. Conveyancing is necessary. What are my next steps?

Given that you are now legally bound yourself to purchase you must hire the services of a conveyancing practitioner quickly as you are faced with a fast approaching a fixed date to complete the deal. All auction property will ordinarily have a bespoke auction pack. This will include evidence of title and search results. Where you are dealing with leasehold premises the conveyancing papers should provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing paperwork relating to leasehold premises. You should hand this to the lawyer working for you as soon as possible. Do make sure that that you have the requisite funding in place to complete on the on the contractual date .

Having read lots of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Heysham solicitor - who is on the Skipton conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

Skipton will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Skipton will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your conveyancing practitioner will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Heysham postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Skipton, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Heysham.

My sealed bid on a semi in Heysham has been accepted, the sellers do however have a tied purchase. The owners have offered on a property, however it’s not yet tied up, and are looking at other flats in the pipeline. I have instructed a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Heysham. What should be my next step? At what stage do I apply for the mortgage with Principality?

It is normal to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses too early (mortgage application is in the region of £1k, then survey, Heysham conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you must ensure that your property lawyer is on the Principality approved list. As to the next steps this very much dictated by the specifics of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a buoyant market the majority of home buyers will apply for a home loan with Principality and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their conveyancer to move forward with searches.

Will my conveyancer be raising enquiries about flooding during the conveyancing in Heysham.

Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors dealing with homes in Heysham. There are those who buy a house in Heysham, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Conveyancers are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous checks that may be undertaken by the purchaser or by their conveyancers which will figure out the risks in Heysham. The standard completed inquiry forms sent to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a standard inquiry of the owner to discover whether the property has ever been flooded. If the property has been flooded in past which is not notified by the owner, then a buyer could bring a legal claim for losses as a result of such an inaccurate response. A purchaser’s conveyancers may also conduct an environmental report. This should higlight if there is any known flood risk. If so, additional investigations should be initiated.

I only have 62 years unexpired on my flat in Heysham. I need to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to find the landlord. On the whole an enquiry agent would be helpful to try and locate and to produce a report to be used as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer both on proving the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Heysham.

I purchased a studio flat in Heysham, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2004. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Heysham with a long lease are worth £202,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £60 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2082

With only 57 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £28,500 and £33,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" 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 the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.