My family solicitor has sent a quote for £1700 for leasehold conveyancing in Carlisle. I’m hoping to downsize from a purpose built house for £225,000. Are these estimated fees excessive? Is it in excess of what I should be paying for conveyancing in Carlisle?

The quote is slightly on the high side. If you shop around you might trim some of the cost by say a hundred pounds. On the other hand, you maycome to rue opting for an a cheaper lawyer. If is important to ensure that the firm can also act for your bank. You can use our comparison tool to get a quote a Carlisle conveyancing firm on the banks approved list of lawyers which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Carlisle.

Why do I have to pay up front when it comes to conveyancing in Carlisle?

If you are buying a property in Carlisle your solicitor will request that you place them with funds to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. This will be the total of the cost of the conveyancing searches. When the deposit is as part of the purchase price then this should be asked for immediately before contracts are exchanged. The closing balance that is needed will be payable a few days prior to the day of completion.

My wife and I have a terraced Victorian house in Carlisle. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and TSB. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Carlisle and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.

Hoping to buy a property located in Carlisle and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Carlisle. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Carlisle area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?

Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Carlisle. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found

Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Carlisle conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Carlisle conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you talk with two or three firms including non Carlisle conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions could be helpful:

Can they put you in touch with clients in Carlisle who can give a testimonial?

I bought a 2 bed flat in Carlisle, conveyancing formalities finalised December 1998. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable flats in Carlisle with over 90 years remaining are worth £216,000. The ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2094

With just 69 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as 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 advice on the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to 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.