My wife and I have a terraced Victorian house in Skelmersdale. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Alliance & Leicester . I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the matching address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Skelmersdale and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also check the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who completed the work.

I'm converting the mortgage on my primary home to a buy to let loan with National Westminster Bank and intend to use the remaining equity as a deposit on another property. The location we are looking at is Skelmersdale. Will your lawyers be able to act for both sets of lenders and tie in the conveyances?

Make use of our search tool on this page to be sure that the solicitors are on the relevant lender panels. Assuming that they are your solicitor should be able to connect the two deals but you should have a chat with you lawyer and communicate your expectations and needs.

My brother has recommend that I appoint his conveyancers in Skelmersdale. Should I use them?

No doubt it’s preferable to find a conveyancing lawyer is to have recommendations from friends or relatives who have experience in using the firm you're are thinking of instructing.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two apartments in Skelmersdale which have in the region of forty five years left on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Skelmersdale is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the salability of the property. For most buyers and lenders, leases with less than 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Skelmersdale conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I purchased a 1 bedroom flat in Skelmersdale, conveyancing having been completed in 2009. 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? Comparable flats in Skelmersdale with over 90 years remaining are worth £181,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease expires on 21st October 2076

With just 51 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £30,400 and £35,200 plus legals.

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 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 considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

I have instructed a Skelmersdale conveyancing solicitor for our home move (FTB’s) and have picked up in the engagement letter that they are not overseen by the FCA. Am I right to be worried or is that the norm with property lawyer?

We can't see why they should be. Most property lawyer don't lend money. They will be regulated by the SRA, who dictate specific laws covering amounts deposited by them.