We are buying a property and need a conveyancing solicitor in Amesbury who is on the Santander approved panel. Can you recommend a local firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Santander . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Amesbury.

We are purchasing a house in Amesbury. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a conveyancer? At some point we have to put our life savings into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our money?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

My wife and I purchasing a terrace house in Amesbury. The intention is to carry out a loft conversion at the property.Will the conveyancing process involve investigations to see if these works are prohibited?

Your conveyancer will check the deeds as conveyancing in Amesbury will occasionally identify restrictions in the title documents which prevent certain changes or require the permission of a 3rd party. Many additions need local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Certain areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.

Is it the case that all Amesbury solicitors on the Nationwide conveyancing panel are regulated by the SRA?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Nationwide approved list of solicitors they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Some mortgage companies do list licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such organisation would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I am close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our home in Amesbury and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built land that was not decontaminated. Any local conveyancer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers are using a web based conveyancing outfit rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Amesbury. We have lived in Amesbury for six years we know that this is a non issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to get clarification need.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You must enquire of 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 life insurance to cover that same sickness)

three months have elapsed since my purchase conveyancing in Amesbury concluded. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £180,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the property from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I am employed by a reputable estate agency in Amesbury where we have experienced a number of leasehold sales jeopardised due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received inconsistent advice from local Amesbury conveyancing solicitors. Can you shed some light as to whether the seller of a flat can start the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser need not have to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

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 buyer.

I acquired a leasehold flat in Amesbury, conveyancing was carried out 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? Corresponding flats in Amesbury with a long lease are worth £211,000. The ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease runs out on 21st October 2093

With just 68 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £9,500 and £11,000 plus legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.