I am about to exchange buying a house in Littlehampton but as a consequence of wreckage from the recent storms I have was able negotiate reparation from the owner in the sum of three thousand pounds taking the form of a adjustment in the price. I had intended this to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process yet Skipton will not permit this. Should they have been informed?

Your lawyer being on the Skipton approved list is obliged to inform Skipton of any changes to the sale price. If you were to refuse your solicitor to disclose the price change to Skipton then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Skipton and you would have to appoint a new conveyancer for your conveyancing in Littlehampton.

What happens if my solicitor is suspended from the Leeds Building Society Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Littlehampton?

The first thing to point out is that, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.

My wife and I have organised a further advance on our home loan from Clydesdale as we wish to conduct a loft conversion to our home in Littlehampton. Are we obliged to choose a high street Littlehampton solicitor on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel to handle the legals?

Clydesdale would not normally appoint a member of their conveyancing panel to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Clydesdale list.

I can not fathom if my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Littlehampton building society branch on numerous occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they would lend. My Littlehampton conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called and was told they refuse to lend based on their specific requirements. I have no idea who is right.

Your property lawyer must comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook section two conditions for your 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 mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

I've digested plenty of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Littlehampton solicitor - who is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?

Co-operative will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Co-operative 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 conveyancer 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 Littlehampton postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Co-operative, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Littlehampton.

Am I best advised to instruct a Littlehampton conveyancing solicitor based in the vicinity that I am buying? I have an old university friend who can carry out the legal work but his firm is located over three hundred kilometers drive away.

The primary upside of using a high street Littlehampton conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to sign documents, hand in your ID and apply pressure on them where appropriate. Having local Littlehampton know how is a bonus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust used your friend and on the whole were impressed that must surpass using an unknown Littlehampton conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being based in the area.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor apartment in Littlehampton. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, however I have just had a half-yearly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

It best that you pay the maintenance contribution as usual because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I am the registered owner of a split level flat in Littlehampton, conveyancing having been completed June 1998. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable properties in Littlehampton with over 90 years remaining are worth £227,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease terminates on 21st October 2097

You have 72 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £9,500 and £11,000 plus professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.