I require conveyancing for an apartment in a fairly new development (five years old) in Seaburn. Almost all the flats have already been sold. Is it really necessary to order conveyancing searches for my conveyancing in Seaburn?

If you getting a mortgage, your bank will require some (many) of the searches so you'll have no choice. If not, then Seaburn conveyancing searches are for you to decide upon. No doubt your conveyancer, will 'advise', perhaps strongly, that you should have the searches done, but he or she is duty bound in this regard. One thing to bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future buyer what the searches contain. Sometimes houses with no practical issues can still throw up adverse search results. But if you demand that your lawyer to proceed without searches then your lawyer will have to follow your instructions or you will need to swap to another solicitor for your conveyancing in Seaburn.

What is the first thing I need to know concerning purchase conveyancing in Seaburn?

Not many law firms shout this from the rooftops but conveyancing in Seaburn or throughout Tyne And Wear is often a confrontational process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists plenty of opportunity for conflict between you and other parties involved in the ownership transfer. For example, the seller, selling agent and even potentially your bank. Appointing a lawyer for your conveyancing in Seaburn is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY party in the transaction whose interest is to act in your best interests and to protect you.

Sometimes a third party with a vested interest will try and convince you that it is in your interests to do things their way. For example, the property agent may claim to be helping by claiming that your lawyer is slow. Or your mortgage broker may tell you to do something that is contrary to your lawyers guidance. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties when it comes to the legal transfer of property.

It has been three months since my purchase conveyancing in Seaburn completed. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £170,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the asset from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

Taking into account that I am about to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a property in Seaburn I would like to talk to a solicitor regarding thehome move prior to giving the go ahead to the firm. Can this be arranged?

This is something that we recommend - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the conveyancer due to be conducting your property ownership legalities in Seaburn.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is unique individual, not a file reference. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are calculated and presented to you for residential conveyancing in Seaburn should be the figure that you are charged.

I have just started marketing my 2 bed apartment in Seaburn. Conveyancing has not commenced, but I have recently had a yearly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should pay the maintenance contribution as normal because all ground rent and service charges should be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I acquired a basement flat in Seaburn, conveyancing formalities finalised April 2001. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Seaburn with over 90 years remaining are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2085

With only 61 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £18,100 and £20,800 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be 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 without first seeking the advice of a professional.