We are expecting a mortgage offer soon. The lender mentioned the loan came with free conveyancing. Does this mean I have to appoint their panel solicitor as I would prefer to use a Sawston based conveyancing firm?

You should check but the the probability is that appoint one of their panel lawyers should you want the "fee-free" offer. Speak to the mortgage company and ask if they allow a monetary alternative. It is not unheard for a lender to give a £250 cashback as an alternative in which case that money can go towards your preferred conveyancing solicitor near Sawston.

We previously selected solicitors based in Sawston on the Skipton solicitor approved list. They are now charging me an additional sum for dealing with the Skipton mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Skipton?

Provided it is contained in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your property lawyer is entitled to levy a fee for this. This charge is not set by Skipton but by your Sawston conveyancing practitioner. Numerous firms on the Skipton panel will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Sawston. I have a mortgage offer with HSBC. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with HSBC, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the HSBC conveyancing panel.

I currently have a mortgage with Bank of Ireland for my property in Sawston. Conveyancing was finalised a year ago. If I am intending to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Bank of Ireland?

Bank of Ireland must be informed of your intention in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Bank of Ireland’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Bank of Ireland will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Bank of Ireland directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel lawyer.

I am buying a new build apartment in Sawston. 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 few leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Sawston

The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Please supply a car parking plan.

My company is hoping to take an assignment of a lease of a shop on a shopping parade. Can you recommend conveyancers offering competitive charges for non-domestic conveyancing in Sawston for under £2000?

We can recommend firms who have well rounded knowledge of commercial conveyancing in Sawston, including the sale and purchase of businesses as well as simply property. If you are intending to purchase or sell a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail unit or a complete business we can put you in touch with the right firm. As for the charges this will depend on the structure and complexity of the deal. Let us have your details or call so as to enable us to supply you with comprehensive commercial conveyancing calculation.

Completion is due on the sale of our £250,000 maisonette in Sawston next week. The landlords agents has quoted £384 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Sawston?

Sawston conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally involves the purchaser’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to address these enquiries most will be willing to assist. They may levy a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some situations it exceeds £800. The management information fee demanded by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration fees, otherwise the invoice is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that one has no choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to sell the property.

I invested in buying a leasehold flat in Sawston, conveyancing formalities finalised 10 years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Equivalent flats in Sawston with over 90 years remaining are worth £185,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2085

With only 60 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £20,000 and £23,000 plus legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.