Having been recommended your site we were about to go ahead with a conveyancing solicitor in Knutsford found by you but have come across alternative costs illustrations on the internet look cheaper – why is this?

There are a variety of conveyancers marketing what appear to be very low prices. We suggest that you think twice about how much you respect your own move to you are willing to take 'cheap' risks with regard to the quality of the legal work. Many of them accentuate a cheap quote to catch your eye but plant additional fees in the small print..

My uncle passed away 10 months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Knutsford. The house had a small mortgage left on it of around £8000. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Kent Reliance, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?

If you plan to re-mortgage then Kent Reliance will require that you use a conveyancer on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Kent Reliance conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Kent Reliance mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Knutsford?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Knutsford. 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…’

We're novice buyers - had an offer accepted, but the agent told us that the owners will only issue a contract if we instruct their recommended lawyers as they are insisting on an ‘expedited deal’. My instinct tells me that we should use a local solicitor accustomed to conveyancing in Knutsford

We suspect that the seller is not behind this requirement. If they desire ‘a quick sale', turning down a motivated buyer is not the way to achieve this. Speak to the vendors direct and explain that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances arranged © you are chain free (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you intend to instruct your own,trusted Knutsford conveyancing firm - not the ones that will earn the estate agent a introducer fee or achieve conveyancing targets demanded by corporate headquarters.

I am looking at a two maisonettes in Knutsford which have about fifty years left on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Knutsford is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it reduces the marketability of the property. For most buyers and banks, leases with under 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Knutsford conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I invested in buying a basement flat in Knutsford, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable properties in Knutsford with an extended lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £65 levied per year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2086

With 61 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £18,100 and £20,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.