Me and my partner are purchasing a flat in Houghton Regis. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a solicitor? On the day of competition we have to send our life savings into their account. What protection do 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.

I am buying a terrace house in Houghton Regis. The intention is to carry out a loft conversion at the house.Will the conveyancing process involve enquiries to determine if these alterations are permitted?

Your conveyancer should review the deeds as conveyancing in Houghton Regis can on occasion reveal restrictions in the title deeds which prevent categories of changes or require the permission of a 3rd party. Many additions need local authority planning permissions and approval in compliance with building regulations. Certain areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or affect extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

I am expecting a AIP from Coventry BS this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Coventry BS recommend any Houghton Regis solicitors on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Houghton Regis solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Coventry BS through the process.

A relative advised me that if I am buying in Houghton Regis I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Houghton Regis conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing significant information about Houghton Regis around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Houghton Regis Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Houghton Regis.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in Houghton Regis?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Houghton Regis. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I own a leasehold house in Houghton Regis. Conveyancing and Lloyds TSB Bank mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing solicitor in Houghton Regis who previously acted has now retired. What should I do?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to instruct a Houghton Regis conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I bought a split level flat in Houghton Regis, conveyancing formalities finalised March 2004. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable flats in Houghton Regis with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease terminates on 21st October 2080

With only 56 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £29,500 and £34,000 plus legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.

Can you set examples of distinct benefits to instructing a high street property lawyer in Houghton Regis

Plenty of house movers in Houghton Regis decide on using a local conveyancer so that they can attend the lawyer’s offices in the event that they have problems, and to execute documents rather taking the chance in depending on the Royal Mail.

There is a marginal edge in selecting a lawyer local to the property you are planning to purchase, due to the knowledge of the region and potential local issues - however this is moot. The majority of conveyancers conduct their work online and may be anywhere in the world.