The deeds to our home are lost. The conveyancers who did the conveyancing in Dunmow 10 years ago no longer exist. Will I be able to sell the house?

As long as the title is registered the information relating to your ownership will be recorded by the Land Registry with a Title Number. It is easy to execute a search at the Land Registry, locate your property and obtain up to date copies of the Registered Entries for a small fee. Where the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually hold a file copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for £20 inclusive of VAT.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on a fortnight ago in what was supposed to be a quick, no chain conveyancing. Dunmow is the location of the property. Is there any guidance you can give?

Flying freeholds in Dunmow are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Dunmow you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Dunmow may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

How straightforward is it to use your search tool to find a conveyancing practitioner in Dunmow on the authorised to act for my lender?

1st pick a bank such as HSBC Bank, Coventry Building Society or Platform Home Loans Ltd then choose your preferred area for example Dunmow. Conveyancing firms in Dunmow and further afield should be shown.

My husband and I are first time buyers - agreed a price, but the property agent informed us that the vendor will only proceed if we appoint their recommended lawyers as they need a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a high street conveyancer used to conveyancing in Dunmow

It is highly unlikely the vendors are behind this. If they want ‘a quick sale', turning down a serious purchaser is not the way to achieve this. Avoid the agents and go straight to the owners and make sure they understand (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances arranged © you are unencumbered (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)but you are going to appoint your own,trusted Dunmow conveyancing lawyers - not the ones that will provide the estate agent a introducer fee or achieve conveyancing figures demanded by corporate headquarters.

I have just started marketing my ground floor flat in Dunmow. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, however I have recently had a yearly service charge invoice – Do I pay up?

It best that you pay the invoice as you normally would as all ground rent and maintenance payments will be allotted on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I acquired a 1 bedroom flat in Dunmow, conveyancing formalities finalised 6 years ago. 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 Dunmow with over 90 years remaining are worth £186,000. The ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2077

You have 52 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £29,500 and £34,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.