I am assisting my mother sell her house in Datchet. Will the conveyancer arrange an EPC or do I organise this?

After the demise of Home Packs, energy assessments was left as a compulsory part of moving property. An energy assessment should be commissioned in advance of the property being placed on the market. It is not a task that lawyers ordinarily arrange. If you are instructing a Datchet conveyancing solicitor they might be able to arrange EPC’s due to their relationships with reputable Datchet assessors

Can you help - my lawyer advises that lack of planning permission insurance is required on my purchase. What is the level of cover for Datchet conveyancing?

The right level of lack of planning permission indemnity insurance depends on who your lender is. It would differ for example between and . Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to members of the public take out such insurances.

We are getting a further advance on our home loan from as we intend to carry out improvements to our house in Datchet. Are we obliged to select a high street Datchet solicitor on the conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?

would not normally appoint a member of their approved list of lawyers to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the conveyancing panel.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Datchet I like with open areas and transport links nearby, however it only has 51 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Datchet in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

Should you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.

I am looking for a conveyancing solicitor in Datchet for my sale. Is it possible to review a solicitor's record with the profession’s regulator?

One can see documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations arising from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find details Pre 2008, or to check a firm's record, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For non-uk callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA sometimes recorded telephone calls for training requirements.

I am the registered owner of a leasehold flat in Datchet, conveyancing was carried out 1995. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Datchet with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease ends 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 are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. 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 taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

At what point do I cover the costs of the Stamp Duty Land Tax payable for my Datchet property purchase?

Most s tend to fill out a Land Transaction Return Form on your behalf as part of your Datchet conveyancing transaction for you to sign. After completion your will submit the Land Transaction application to the Tax Authorities and - assuming they have the money - settle any tax bill payable for you.