We selected a local lawyer for our conveyancing in Longton today. After carefully reading the Ts and Cs I seewe are on the hook for costs even if the sale doesn't happen. Should I ditch them and instruct an internet conveyancing brokerage promising no move no charge conveyancing in Longton?

It is usually a trade off in that if "No Completion No Fee" is offered then the conveyancing charges will tend to be be higher to offset the conveyances that do not go ahead. Please beware that such arrangements rarely cover expenditure by way of example Longton conveyancing search charges.

We're in Longton, FTBs purchasing with a mortgage (lender is RBS , and our lawyer is on the RBS conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the RBS conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no property lawyer should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

My friend recommended that where I am buying in Longton I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is usually included in the estimate for your Longton conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and detailing significant information about Longton around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Longton Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information regarding Longton.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Longton. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.

Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Longton

Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? Please confirm the Lease plans are architect prepared. The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme.

I work for a reputable estate agent office in Longton where we have experienced a few leasehold sales put at risk as a result of short leases. I have been given conflicting advice from local Longton conveyancing firms. Could you confirm whether the vendor of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

I bought a split level flat in Longton, conveyancing formalities finalised March 1998. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar flats in Longton with over 90 years remaining are worth £211,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease expires on 21st October 2092

You have 68 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.