We are selling our home in Longfield. Does my conveyancer need to be required to be on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their specifications fairly frequently currently.

My wife and I are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our property in Longfield and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built land that was not decontaminated. Any high street Longfield lawyer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers used a national conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Longfield. We have lived in Longfield for 4 years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to seek confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor 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)

My father-in-law has recommend that I instruct his conveyancing solicitors in Longfield. Should I use them?

Much as we are happy to recommend a Longfield conveyancing lawyer it’s preferable to choose a conveyancing lawyer is to seek referrals from friends or relatives who have actually experience in using the solicitor that you are considering.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Longfield with the aim of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Longfield can be bypassed where you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
The majority of landlords or managing agents in Longfield charge for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Longfield. Some Longfield leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Longfield leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such alterations. If you fail to have the paperwork in place you should not contact the landlord without checking with your solicitor in advance. You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable double-check via your solicitors. A buyer’s conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is below 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

I invested in buying a leasehold flat in Longfield, conveyancing was carried out 7 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Longfield with a long lease are worth £171,000. The ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2104

You have 79 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £7,600 and £8,800 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.

How up-to-date is your search tool for the mortgage company conveyancing panel in Longfield? Do the banks send you an updated list?

Longfield law firm practices and firms carrying out conveyancing in Longfield themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the lender conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from the mortgage company directly.