I require conveyancing for a flat in a relatively new development (five years old) in Longlands. 95% of the flats are already sold. Do I need carry out the local searches for my conveyancing in Longlands?

You are putting yourself at risk in refusing to carrying out Longlands conveyancing searches. Without searches you have no clarity over flooding, environmental etc which may mean you walk away due to potential problems down the line. If you are buying mortgage free there is no legal requirement to have them, but we would seriously advise in no uncertain terms that you have them. If accelerating the process and driving down costs are top of your issues you should consider with your conveyancer about the options such as indemnity insurance available to you

I am being told by my solicitor that flying freehold insurance is required on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Longlands?

The right level of flying freehold indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between Accord Mortgages Ltd and Skipton Building Society. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to members of the public take out such insurances.

I am the single beneficiary of my late grandmother’s estate and I have everything in my name alone, including the my former home in Longlands. The Longlands property was put into my name in February. I now wish to sell up. I do know about the CML 6 month 'rule', meaning my proprietorship could be regarded the same way as if I'd bought the house in February. Will no one buy the property for half a year?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook instructs solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you might be caught by that. Some mortgage companies would take a practical view as this provision is chiefly there to pick up on subsales or the wholesaling and assigning of property.

Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Longlands. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?

All lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are sorted out very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.

I have been told that property searches are the main cause of obstruction in Longlands conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released findings of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the top 10 causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are unlikely to be the root cause of delay in conveyancing in Longlands.

We are a fortnight into a freehold purchase having been recommend to solicitors by the estate agent to execute conveyancing in Longlands. I am am very disappointed with the level of service. Can you help me find new conveyancers?

A solicitor would need to be very poor in order to consider diss instructing them. Has the mortgage been issued? If so you must advise them of the new contact details and have the mortgage documents are issued to the new lawyers. The solicitor ideally should be on the lenders panel to avoid added costs and frustration. So that should be your starting point. Our search tool should assist you in finding a bank approved lawyer for your home move in Longlands

Looking forward to complete next month on a basement flat in Longlands. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they report fully next week. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Longlands should include some of the following:

Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice? Setting out your rights in relation to the communal areas in the building.E.G., does the lease contain a right of way over a path or hallways? Does the lease prohibit wood flooring? The length of the lease term. You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and aware of the importance of the 80 year mark

Following years of negotiations we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Longlands. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

Most certainly. We are happy to put you in touch with a Longlands conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Longlands property is 103a Footscray Road in January 2014. The tribunal determines that the premium payable for the extended lease should be £34,500 according to the expert witness valuation calculation This case affected 1 flat.