We are looking to buy a flat and require a conveyancing solicitor in Bristol who is on the Leeds Building Society solicitor panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a solicitor?

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

There is lots of here regarding conveyancing in Bristol but can you isolate your top tip for finding the right conveyancer in Bristol

Do not opt for the cheapest Bristol conveyancing fees. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

I am assisting my aunt sell her house in Bristol. Does the conveyancer order the EPC or should I organise this?

After the demise of Home Information Packs, energy assessments became a compulsory component of selling a house. An energy assessment should be commissioned in advance of the property being placed on the market. It is not a task that solicitors normally arrange. If you are instructing a Bristol conveyancing lawyer they may be able to arrange EPC’s due to their contacts with reputable local accredited person

Co-operative have agreed my mortgage in principle, my bid on a property in Bristol has been agreed to, what happens next?

The property agent will wish to be advised as to your conveyancer's details (ensure that the property lawyers are on the bank’s panel). Contact Co-operative or the financial adviser and complete any relevant forms. Co-operative will appoint a valuer who will get in touch with the estate agent or owners to book a time for the valuation to happen. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about a fortnight for the mortgage offer to be issued. Co-operative will send the offer to you and your lawyers. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Bristol.

I am buying a new build house in Bristol benefiting from help to buy. The sellers would not budge the price so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The house builders rep advised me not to tell my solicitor about the side-deal as it will put at risk my mortgage with Halifax. 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.

How do I locate a Bristol law firm on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel? I have wheels and am willing to travel upto 25miles to meet the conveyancer.

Feel free to make use of the facility on this website. Please select a lender and your location and you will see a number of Bristol conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have detailed some Bristol conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can telephone them to verify whether they are on the Virgin Money member panel

I am attracted to a two apartments in Bristol which have approximately 50 years left on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Bristol is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the marketability of the property. The majority of purchasers and lenders, leases with under eighty years become less and less attractive. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a property with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Bristol conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I inherited a 2 bed flat in Bristol, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar properties in Bristol with a long lease are worth £190,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease expires on 21st October 2087

You have 62 years left to run the likely cost is going to range between £17,100 and £19,800 as well as costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.