I was notified yesterday by my lender that my Repton lawyer is not on the mortgage company Solicitor panel. How can I check?

Your first step should be to call your Repton lawyer directly. You lawyer should advise you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your bank.

I had intended to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Repton for our house purchase. Our broker informed us that our mortgage company The Royal Bank of Scotland won't deal with them. Why is this not regarded as unfair competition?

A lender will insist on an approved solicitor act for it. You would be expected to meet the charges for this. Try using our directory service to get a quote from a solicitor to conduct conveyancing in Repton on the The Royal Bank of Scotland approved list of solicitors.

What does a local search reveal regarding the house my wife and I purchasing in Repton?

Repton conveyancing often starts with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search organisations such as Searches UK The local search is essential in every Repton conveyancing purchase; that is if you don’t want any nasty once you have moved into your new home. The search should reveal information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 topic areas.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on a fortnight ago in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Repton is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Repton are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Repton you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Repton may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Repton from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Repton can be bypassed if you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ solicitors.
If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you hold the original share document. Arranging a new share certificate is often a lengthy formality and slows down many a Repton home move. If a duplicate share certificate is necessary, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity. Many landlords or managing agents in Repton levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Repton. You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this by asking your lawyers. A buyer’s conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to where the lease term is below 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

I bought a studio flat in Repton, conveyancing having been completed in 2000. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in Repton with over 90 years remaining are worth £255,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease terminates on 21st October 2099

With just 74 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £8,600 and £9,800 plus costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use this information 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. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.