It is 10 years ago since I acquired my home in Edge Hill. Conveyancing solicitors have now been appointed on the sale but I am unable to locate the title documents. Is this a problem?

You need not be too concerned. First the deeds may be with your mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the conveyancers who handled your purchase. Secondly in all probability the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Edge Hill relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is not registered it is more tricky but is resolvable.

We're in Edge Hill, First time buyers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is Yorkshire BS , and our lawyer is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no property lawyer should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

I used Action Conveyancing a few years ago for my conveyancing in Edge Hill. I now require my file but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Edge Hill of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

How does conveyancing in Edge Hill differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Edge Hill come to us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is completed. This is because builders in Edge Hill usually buy the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Edge Hill or who has acted in the same development.

I am a negotiator for a busy estate agent office in Edge Hill where we have experienced a few leasehold sales put at risk as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given contradictory information from local Edge Hill conveyancing solicitors. Please can you shed some light as to whether the seller of a flat can commence the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

An alternative approach is to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

I am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in Edge Hill, conveyancing having been completed 8 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar properties in Edge Hill with over 90 years remaining are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2087

With only 61 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £19,000 and £22,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.