My Didsbury conveyancer has identified a discrepancy between the information in the home valuation survey and what is in the title deeds. My solicitor informs me that he must check that the bank is OK with this discrepancy and is still content to lend. Is my conveyancer’s stance correct?

Your solicitor must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

My wife and I are intent on selling our property in Didsbury and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. Any high street Didsbury lawyer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers are using a web based conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Didsbury. We have lived in Didsbury for 5 years we know of no issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to obtain confirmation need.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing lawyer already. What do they say? You must check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my house are lost. The solicitors who dealt with the conveyancing in Didsbury 4 years ago are no longer around. What do I do?

Gone are the days when you need to have the physical official documentation to evidence that you own the land or property, as the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one close by in Didsbury I like with open areas and transport links nearby, however it only has 52 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Didsbury in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?

If you require a mortgage that many years may be problematic. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to be perfect, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Didsbury. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Didsbury are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Didsbury so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Didsbury conveyancing solicitor and be sure 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 leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your conveyancer should appraise you on the various issues.

I invested in buying a basement flat in Didsbury, conveyancing was carried out December 2008. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Corresponding properties in Didsbury with a long lease are worth £179,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2082

With only 57 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £26,600 and £30,800 plus professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.