We are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our property in Stokenchurch and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being built on contaminated land. Any high street Stokenchurch lawyer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the purchasers are using a nationwide conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Stokenchurch. Having lived in Stokenchurch for three years we know that this is a non issue. Do we contact our local Authority to obtain confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. What do they say? You must check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same illness)

I have todaydiscovered that Stirling Law have closed. They carried out my conveyancing in Stokenchurch for a purchase of a freehold house 12 months ago. How can I be sure that the property is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?

The easiest way to see if the property is registered to you, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Stokenchurch conveyancing specialists.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on last month in what should have been a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Stokenchurch is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Stokenchurch are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Stokenchurch you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Stokenchurch 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 residence.

We are a couple of weeks into a residential purchase having been directed to solicitors by the selling agent to do our conveyancing in Stokenchurch. We are not happy. Can you you assist me in finding new solicitors?

A lawyer would have to be very bad to suggest replacing them. Has the mortgage offer been generated? In the event that it has you will need to advise them of the new contact details and ensure the mortgage documents are re-issued. The solicitor ideally should be on the mortgage company panel to avoid added charges and frustration. So that should be your starting point. The search tool should help you find a lender approved conveyancer for your home move in Stokenchurch

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Stokenchurch. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee 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. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure 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 inherited a split level flat in Stokenchurch, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Stokenchurch with an extended lease are worth £181,000. The ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease ceases on 21st October 2075

You have 51 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £30,400 and £35,200 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. 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. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.