I am hoping to move into my new home in Longthorpe next Friday. I have now been asked to send a copy of my building insurance schedule by my solicitor as he says that he has to check this in his capacity as lawyer for the mortgage company. What does the insurance need to cover?

Any lawyer on acting for mortgage companies would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook instructions. These obligations are not specific to conveyancing in Longthorpe.

Me and my brother purchased a 4 bedroom Edwardian house in Longthorpe. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Chelsea Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Longthorpe and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also check the position with the conveyancing lawyer who carried out the work.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and found one round the corner in Longthorpe I like with amenity areas and transport links in the vicinity, however it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Longthorpe suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be problematic. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you can ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this.

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Longthorpe from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Longthorpe can be reduced where you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers’ representatives.
In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Longthorpe state that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such alterations. If you dont have the consents to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor in advance. Some Longthorpe leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to 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 buyers or their solicitors. You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this by asking your conveyancers. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the lease term is under 80 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

I inherited a 1 bedroom flat in Longthorpe, conveyancing was carried out 4 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar flats in Longthorpe with an extended lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £65 per annum. The lease finishes on 21st October 2086

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

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

I have recently placed an offer on a leasehold flat in Longthorpe and the estate agent that we are using suggested his conveyancer. She quoted £1000 including VAT and 3rd party costs. Does this sound steep?

Don't just go on one quote. You should obtain like-for-like quotes for your conveyancing in Longthorpe. Then choose one that you trust and crucially, is on the approved list of the lender that you are sourcing your mortgage from.