Are the BSA planning on creating a search tool with a view to to identify practices on the Darlington Building Society conveyancing panel for instance in Worksop?

We are not aware of any plans on the part of the BSA to promote such a search facility.

I understand that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Do I require chancel insurance when acquiring a residence in Worksop? or I am told that there is historic law that could mean that house owners residing in a parish church boundary will be compelled to pay for repairs to the chancel in proximity to the church. Is this relevant for conveyancing in Worksop?

Unless a prior acquisition of the property completed post 12 October 2013 you could assume that conveyancing practitioners delivering conveyancing in Worksop to continue to advocate a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.

How does conveyancing in Worksop differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Worksop come to us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is ready to move into. This is because developers in Worksop usually acquire the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Worksop or who has acted in the same development.

I work for a long established estate agent office in Worksop where we have experienced a number of leasehold sales put at risk due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local Worksop conveyancing solicitors. Can you clarify whether the owner of a flat can instigate the lease extension process for the buyer?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

I purchased a ground floor flat in Worksop, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Similar flats in Worksop with over 90 years remaining are worth £202,000. The ground rent is £60 invoiced every year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2082

With only 57 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £28,500 and £33,000 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

I am looking to buy a property and require a conveyancing solicitor in Worksop who is on the bank solicitor panel. Can you recommend a Worksop or local firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for the lender who do conveyancing in Worksop. We dont recommend any particular firm.