I am acquiring a property without a mortgage in Belbroughton. I have lived for the last twelve years in Belbroughton. Conveyancing searches are exorbitant. As I have knowledge of the area and road intimately must I have all the conveyancing searches?

If you not getting a home loan, then almost all of the Belbroughton conveyancing searches are at your discretion. Your solicitor will try and sway you, no-doubt strongly, that you should have searches completed, but she is duty bound to do this. One thing to consider; if you are going to sell the house at a future date, it will likely be be of interest to your future buyer what the searches disclose. There are plenty of instances where houses with functional issues can still reveal negative search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Belbroughton will be able to give you some constructive guidance in this regard.

How up to date is your database of Belbroughton solicitors on the UBS conveyancing panel? Do UBS send you an updated list?

Belbroughton conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the UBS conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from UBS directly.

My father-in-law has suggested that I use his conveyancers in Belbroughton. Should I choose my own conveyancer?

No doubt the ideal way to select a conveyancing solicitor is to get guidance from friends or relatives who have actually used the conveyancer you're considering.

I am a negotiator for a reputable estate agent office in Belbroughton where we have witnessed a number of leasehold sales derailed as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local Belbroughton conveyancing solicitors. Could you clarify whether the owner of a flat can start the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease 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 has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

An alternative approach is to agree the lease extension with the freeholder 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 1st floor flat in Belbroughton, conveyancing having been completed in 2011. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable flats in Belbroughton with a long lease are worth £202,000. The ground rent is £60 yearly. The lease expires on 21st October 2082

With 57 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £28,500 and £33,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Belbroughton. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Belbroughton are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Belbroughton in which case you should be shopping around for a Belbroughton conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer should advise you fully on all the issues.