It is 10 years ago since I acquired my property in Coombe. Conveyancing solicitors have just been appointed on the sale but I am unable to find the title documents. Will this jeopardise the sale?

You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be kept by the lender or they may be in the possession of the lawyers who acted in the purchase. Secondly in most cases the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Coombe relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is unregistered it is more of a problem but is not insurmountable.

My wife and I buying a end of terrace house in Coombe. The intention is to carry out an extension to the side at the property.Will the conveyancing process include investigations to determine if these alterations are permitted?

Your property lawyer should check the deeds as conveyancing in Coombe will on occasion reveal restrictions in the title documents which prohibit categories of alterations or require the consent of another owner. Some works call for local authority planning permissions and approval in accordance building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or affect extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

I am the sole recipient of my late father’s estate with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in Coombe. The Coombe property was put into my name in August. I now wish to sell up. I do know about the Mortgage Lenders six month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship will be regarded the same way as if I'd bought the property in August. Do I have to wait 6 months to sell?

The CML handbook instructs conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you might be caught by that. Some banks would take a practical view as this provision is chiefly there to pick up on subsales or the flipping of property.

Two weeks ago we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Nationwide. Coombe conveyancing lawyers have been chosen. How long does it take for Nationwide to issue the offer to the property lawyer?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Nationwide completed the survey? Have you informed Nationwide as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Nationwide conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

I own a semi-detached Victorian property in Coombe. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Godiva Mortgages Ltd. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You should review 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 proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Coombe and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage 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 carried out the work.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £305k and identified one near me in Coombe I like with open areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Coombe suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

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

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Coombe conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Coombe conveyancing firm) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggest that you make enquires with several firms including non Coombe conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be useful:

If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason? What volume of lease extensions has the firm carried out in Coombe in the last year?

I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord to extend my lease without any joy. Can I make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Coombe conveyancing firm to act on my behalf?

Most certainly. We are happy to put you in touch with a Coombe conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Coombe premises is 29 Woodstock Road in April 2014. the Tribunal determined that the premiums to be paid into court in respect of the purchase of the freehold registered at HMLR under Title N0.SY3997 should be £7,217. This case related to 4 flats. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 98 years.