I am assisting my sister sell her property in Watton. Does the conveyancer order the EPC or it is for the owner to see to?

Following the demise of HIPs, energy assessments became a mandatory part of moving property. An energy performance certificate must be commissioned before the property is marketed. This is not a task that law firms normally organise. Where you are using a Watton conveyancing lawyer they may be able to arrange energy assessments given their relationships with reputable Watton assessors

is it true that all Watton solicitors on the Aldermore conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Aldermore approved list of solicitors they would need to be governed by the SRA. Many mortgage companies do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the organisation would be overseen by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Watton. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?

All lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.

Is it necessary to pay for insurance to address the risk of chancel repairs when buying a house in Watton?

Unless a previous acquisition of the property took place post 12 October 2013 you may assume that solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Watton to remain encouraging a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Watton I like with open areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it only has 51 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Watton suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.

I’m about to sell my basement flat in Watton. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, but I have recently had a half-yearly service charge demand – what should I do?

It best that you discharge the service charge as you normally would given that all rents and maintenance payments should be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I am the registered owner of a 1st floor flat in Watton, conveyancing was carried out in 2009. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable flats in Watton with a long lease are worth £185,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2085

You have 61 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £18,100 and £20,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns 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 placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

My conveyancer in Watton has requested from me personal identification documents stating that this is part of his obligations as a conveyancer on the bank Conveyancing panel. Is this right?

Due to Money Laundering Regulations your conveyancing lawyer is duty bound to confirm positively your identification when entering into a business relationship with you. It is a criminal offence if your lawyer not do this. If you do not provide ID early in the transaction the solicitor must refuse to act for you. It’s unlikely a lawyer will turn you away if you come to the first meeting without relevant ID but you will have to produce it at some point so you might as well bring it with you to the initial meeting so the lawyer can tick the ID verification box and start sorting out the conveyancing straight away. If you are getting a mortgage, your lawyer also has to check ID documents to satisfy the bank. This is not specific to conveyancing in Watton