Recently been in touch with my conveyancing solicitor in Caterham who completed the legal work two years ago requesting a conveyancing quote based on the same type of home move (a leasehold property and a freehold premises) of almost identical values with a loan from The Royal Bank of Scotland. I am now being quoted twice the amount. Should I hunt for a cheaper internet firm of conveyancing solicitor?

The costs illustration is fractionally on the high side. If you are willing to spend time comparing charges you might trim some of the expense by perhaps £100 plus VAT. That being said, assuming were pleased with the assistance the firm gave you couldcome to regret choosing an an unknown solicitor. If is important to be sure that the solicitor can act for The Royal Bank of Scotland. You can employ our search tool to find a Caterham conveyancing firm on the The Royal Bank of Scotland member panel, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Caterham.

Due to move into my new home in Caterham next Thursday. My property lawyer now wants me to supply her with evidence of content and building insurance for the property as he says that he has to check this in his capacity as lawyer for the lender. What risks does the lender expect the insurance to cover?

All property lawyers on acting for mortgage companies would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook instructions. These requirements are not specific to conveyancing in Caterham.

My house in Caterham is up for sale and I have a buyer. Will the solicitor have to be on the Principality conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Principality conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their requirements fairly frequently at the moment.

We previously instructed solicitors locally in Caterham on the Barclays solicitor panel. They have just billed me a supplemental sum for handling the Barclays mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Barclays?

Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your solicitor can charge a fee for this. The fee is not set by Barclays but by your Caterham property lawyer. Plenty of firms on the Barclays panel will levy an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.

The mortgage over my property is with TSB for my property in Caterham. Conveyancing has been completed a year ago. If I am intending to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform TSB?

Your original mortgage agreement with TSB will provide that you need their approval before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of TSB’s mortgage conditions. It may be that TSB will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact TSB directly. You need not do this via a TSB conveyancing panel lawyer.

After shopping around on the internet I have found a Caterham solicitor having checked that they are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Coventry BS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Coventry BS will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Caterham surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Caterham. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Caterham are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Caterham so you should seriously consider looking for a Caterham conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the freeholder’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will report to you on the legal implications.

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord to extend my lease without any joy. Can I make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Caterham conveyancing firm to assist?

You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Caterham conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Caterham premises is 223 Brighton Road in September 2013. The premium payable for the acquisition freehold of the properties should be £10,934 (Ten thousand,nine hundred and thirty four pounds) This case related to 3 flats. The unexpired lease term was 75 years.