My aunt advised me that in purchasing a property in Sandiacre there may be a number of restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external alterations to a property. Is this right?

We are aware of a number of properties in Sandiacre which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Sandiacre should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

Is it the case that all Sandiacre CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the HSBC conveyancing list of approved practices?

It is true that some lenders now make use of the accreditation scheme as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.

Our offer on a semi in Sandiacre has been accepted, the sellers do nevertheless have a connected purchase. The sellers have offered on somewhere, but it’s not yet agreed to, and are looking at other properties in the pipeline. I have selected a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Sandiacre. What do I do now? When do I get the mortgage application with UBS started?

It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses prematurely (mortgage application is approx one thousand pounds, then survey, Sandiacre conveyancing search fees, etc). First, you must ensure that your conveyancer is on the UBS approved list. Concerning the subsequent steps this very much dictated by the circumstances of your transaction, motivation for the property and on the state of the market. During a rising market some home buyers would apply for the mortgage with UBS and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their solicitor to proceed with the conveyancing in Sandiacre.

A friend recommended that where I am purchasing in Sandiacre I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

This is a search is usually quoted for as part of the standard Sandiacre conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing significant information about Sandiacre 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 Property Price, Crime statistics, Sandiacre Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning Sandiacre.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified as part of conveyancing in Sandiacre?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Sandiacre. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I opted to have a survey carried out on a property in Sandiacre before appointing lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. My surveyor advised that some banks will not grant a loan on this type of premises.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different instructions for example to Halifax. Should you wish to call us we can investigate further via the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Sandiacre. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Sandiacre especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Sandiacre.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Sandiacre. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I own a garden flat in Sandiacre, conveyancing having been completed February 2008. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding properties in Sandiacre with over 90 years remaining are worth £179,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 yearly. The lease runs out on 21st October 2081

You have 57 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £26,600 and £30,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.