IfI was to purchase a freehold homein Newcastle under Lyme for cash and dispense with a survey and no local authority searches how much could I expect to to save on my conveyancing in Newcastle under Lyme?

The sole saving you would achieve is the disbursement for searches. Your lawyer is obliged to do the vast majority of work - money laundering, communicating with the vendors lawyer, stamp duty return, register the property etc. You might save a bit for them not having to register a charge however it won't be meaningful.

This question may be naive but I am unseasoned as a 1st time buyer of a two bedroom flat in Newcastle under Lyme. Do I collect the keys to the premises on completion from my lawyer? If so, I will appoint a local conveyancing solicitor in Newcastle under Lyme?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will arrange to send the purchase money to the vendor’s solicitors, and once they have received this, you will be able to receive the keys from the Estate Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen early afternoon.

I have paid off my mortgage with Virgin Money. I assume I don't need a Newcastle under Lyme conveyancer on the Virgin Money panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.

If you have finished paying off your Virgin Money mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Virgin Money mortgage from the register. Virgin Money, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Virgin Money has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Virgin Money has instructed the Land Registry to do so

Clydesdale have agreed my home loan in principle, my offer on a apartment in Newcastle under Lyme has been agreed to, what are the next steps?

Your property agent will want to be advised as to your lawyer's details (ensure that the conveyancing practitioners are on the lender’s panel). Call up Clydesdale or your financial adviser and finalise any appropriate forms. Clydesdale will appoint a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or seller to arrange an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes approximately a fortnight for the mortgage offer to be issued. Clydesdale will send the offer to you and your property lawyers. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Newcastle under Lyme.

I have been told that property searches are the main cause of hinderance in Newcastle under Lyme conveyancing transactions. Is that correct?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the common causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Searches are unlikely to be the root cause of delay in conveyancing in Newcastle under Lyme.

Should I choose a Newcastle under Lyme conveyancing solicitor in close proximity to the house I am buying? I have an old university friend who can conduct the conveyancing but his firm is located over three hundred miles drive away.

The primary upside of using a high street Newcastle under Lyme conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to execute paperwork, present your ID and apply pressure on them if necessary. Having local Newcastle under Lyme know how is a benefit. That being said it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust used your friend and on the whole were impressed that must trump using an unfamiliar Newcastle under Lyme conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being round the corner.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Newcastle under Lyme with the purpose of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Newcastle under Lyme can be bypassed if you instruct lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers’ lawyers.
Some Newcastle under Lyme leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the yearly 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors. If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should make sure that you are holding the original share document. Arranging a re-issued share certificate is often a time consuming formality and slows down many a Newcastle under Lyme conveyancing transaction. Where a duplicate share certificate is needed, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later. You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but you should verify this by asking your conveyancers. 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 identify whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale. If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a flat where a dispute is ongoing. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over as opposed to ongoing.

I am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in Newcastle under Lyme, conveyancing having been completed in 2000. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Equivalent flats in Newcastle under Lyme with a long lease are worth £227,000. The ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2097

With just 72 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.