My relative recommended that where I am purchasing in Manor House I should ask my conveyancer to execute a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is usually included in the estimate for your Manor House conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing significant information about Manor House around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Manor House Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information regarding Manor House.

I have todaybecome aware that Arc property Solicitors have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Manor House for a purchase of a leasehold flat 10 months ago. How can I check that my home is registered correctly in the name of the former proprietor?

The quickest way to check if the property is registered to you, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Manor House conveyancing specialists.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Manor House with a loan from Barclays . The builders would not budge the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent told me not reveal to my solicitor about this side-deal as it will jeopardize my mortgage with the bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I am looking at a couple of maisonettes in Manor House both have about forty five years unexpired on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Manor House is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the value of the property. The majority of purchasers and mortgage companies, leases with less than 75 years become less and less attractive. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Manor House conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I have had difficulty in trying to purchase the freehold in Manor House. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

Most certainly. We can put you in touch with a Manor House conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Manor House property is 51 Lorne Road in November 2009. The price Payable as decided by the tribunal for the freehold reversion was £27,000. The valuation follows the order of the County Court made on 3 April 2008 granting a vesting order. This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 71 years.

My brother mentioned that when selecting a conveyancing firm they need approved by your mortgage company. It happens to be my first house move but I have an offer in principle with Halifax and I already have a high street conveyancing lawyer in Manor House lined up. Will Birmingham Midhshires need an approved conveyancer to be selected? Does a directory of approved firms even exist so I can choose a conveyancing lawyer in Manor House?

You need to instruct a solicitor that is on the Birmingham Midhshires panel. The simplest thing to do is telephone your preferred Manor House conveyancing solicitor and ask if they are on the Birmingham Midhshires panel. If they are not on the panel you have a couple of alternatives available to you here:

• Carry on with your existing Manor House solicitor but Birmingham Midhshires will no doubt retain a lawyer on their approved panel. The net impact is additional fees together with probable interruption.
• Get a new conveyancer to act in the purchase, ensuring that they are on the Birmingham Midhshires conveyancing panel.
• Convince your conveyancing practitioner to seek to join the lender panel.