The solicitor who dealt with my former purchase has quoted £1350 for leasehold conveyancing in Watton. I’m selling a newly refurbished detached home for £300,000. Are these conveyancing fees excessive? Is it in excess of what I should be paying for conveyancing in Watton?

The estimate does seem marginally overpriced. If you are content to spend time contrasting quotes you may be able to reduce the fees marginally by perhaps a hundred pounds. That being said, you maycome to regret opting for an an untested conveyancer. Remember to be sure the conveyancer can act for your lender. You can use our comparison tool to get a quote a Watton conveyancing firm on the lender’s member panel which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Watton.

I am assisting my mother sell her house in Watton. Will the conveyancer arrange the energy performance certificate or it is for me to coordinate?

Following the abolition of Home Packs, energy assessments became a mandatory component of moving house. An energy performance certificate should be commissioned before the property is placed on the market. This is not a task that solicitors normally arrange. If you are instructing a Watton conveyancing lawyer they might help arrange EPC’s due to their contacts with long established local providers

My wife and I are spending time looking at flats in Watton and I am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a conveyancer in place at this point? I intend to finance via a home loan with Nottingham.

It would be wise to instigate your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the selling agent. As you are getting a mortgage with Nottingham, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Nottingham conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Watton. I have a mortgage offer with Leeds Building Society. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use 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 Leeds Building Society, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel.

I am buying my first flat in Watton with a mortgage from Virgin Money. The builders refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent told me not inform my conveyancer about the deal as it would adversely affect my loan with Virgin Money. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

We're FTB’s - had an offer accepted, yet the selling agent has warned us that the vendor will only proceed if we use their recommended lawyers as they want a ‘quick sale’. My instinct tells me that we should use a local conveyancer used to conveyancing in Watton

It is highly unlikely the sellers are driving this. If they require ‘a quick sale', turning down a motivated purchaser is going to damage their objectives. Speak to the vendors direct and make the point that (a)you are motivated purchasers (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you do not need to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you intend to instruct your preferred Watton conveyancing solicitors - rather thanthe ones that will earn their negotiator at the agency a kickback or meet his conveyancing figures set by HQ.

I've found a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since been informed that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Watton. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Watton ?

Most houses in Watton are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Watton so you should seriously consider looking for a Watton conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.

I inherited a basement flat in Watton, conveyancing having been completed June 1999. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Watton with a long lease are worth £211,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2093

You have 68 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £9,500 and £11,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.