My husband and I are acquiring a new build apartment in Calcot and my solicitor is telling me that she has to the mortgage company to reveal incentives from the developer. I am under pressure to exchange contracts and I have no desire to prolong matters. is my lawyer playing by the book?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your conveyancer. A precondition to being on a mortgage company panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build apartment in Calcot. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Calcot

The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company?

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on a fortnight ago in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. Calcot is the location of the property. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Calcot are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Calcot you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Calcot may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.

In surfing the web for the words conveyancing in Calcot it shows results of many property lawyersin the vicinity. How do I determine which is the suitable solicitor for purchase transaction?

The preferential method of choosing a suitable conveyancer is through a personal recommendation, so ask colleagues and relatives who have bought a property in Calcot or a respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Charges for conveyancing in Calcot differ, so it's a good idea to secure a minimum of three quotes from varying types of companies. Make sure that you know what costs in the quote includes.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Calcot conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Calcot conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggest that you talk with two or three firms including non Calcot conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be useful:

How experienced is the firm with lease extension legislation? What are the costs for lease extension work?

I inherited a studio flat in Calcot, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2002. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable properties in Calcot with an extended lease are worth £186,000. The ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease expires on 21st October 2077

With only 52 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £29,500 and £34,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.