My brother and I have recently purchased a house in Chester. We have since encountered a number of problems with the house which we suspect were missed in the conveyancing searches. Do we have any recourse? Can you clarify the nature of searches that needed to have been carried out as part of conveyancing in Chester?

It is not clear from the question as to the nature of the problems and if they are specific to conveyancing in Chester. Conveyancing searches and investigations initiated during the buying process are supposed to help avoid problems. As part of the process, a property owner completes a form called a Seller’s Property Information Form. If the information is incorrect, then you may have a claim against the seller for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Chester.

I am buying a house and require a conveyancing solicitor in Chester who is on the solicitor. 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 listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for in certain locations such as Chester. We dont recommend any particular firm.

Me and my brother purchased a renovated Victorian property in Chester. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and . I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Chester and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the situation with the conveyancing practitioner who completed the work.

I am buying my first flat in Chester with a loan from . The builders refused to move on the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep suggested that I not disclose to my solicitor about the deal as it would put at risk my loan with the bank. Is this normal?.

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.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and found one round the corner in Chester I like with amenity areas and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 51 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Chester for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

Should you need a mortgage that many years will be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for at least 2 years you may request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.