The vendors of the property we are hoping to buy have instructed a conveyancing solicitor in Cranfield who has suggested a lock out contract with a non-refundable deposit 10k. Are such contracts recommended for Cranfield conveyancing transactions?

There are a couple of main concerns with entering into any lock out contract (sometimes termed a no-shop agreement) is that it can distract from making progress with the conveyancing transaction itself, so unless it requires minimal or no negotiation then it may transpire to be unhelpful. It is not particularly popular amongst Cranfield conveyancing solicitors for this reason. A further concern is the extent of the remedies available - a jilted purchaser is very unlikely to be granted an injunctive ruling by a court to prevent the vendor selling to an alternative purchaser, so the only remedy open via the agreement will be the recovery of abortive costs and, in rare circumstances, the extra payment of damages.

Are the Cranfield conveyancing solicitors identified as being on the conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by ?

Cranfield conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from directly.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my property can not be found. The conveyancers who dealt with the conveyancing in Cranfield 10 years ago are no longer around. What do I do?

Nowadays there are duplicates made of almost everything, and your conveyancer will know precisely where to find all the relevant paperwork so you may buy or sell your house without a hitch. Where duplicates are not available, your solicitor can put in place insurance or indemnities against future claims on the property.

I have been pointed in your direction by numerous estate agents in Cranfield to choose a solicitor on your site. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to promote your services ahead of another?

We don’t offer any financial incentive for directing people our way. We thought it would be too underhand a fee as a client could think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

There are only 68 years left on my lease in Cranfield. I need to extend my lease but my freeholder is missing. What options are available to me?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the landlord. In some cases an enquiry agent would be useful to try and locate and to produce an expert document to be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Cranfield.

I own a split level flat in Cranfield, conveyancing formalities finalised 1995. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable flats in Cranfield with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease terminates on 21st October 50

With 50 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.