My partner and I have lately acquired a house in Fenstanton. We have noticed several problems with the house which we suspect were missed in the conveyancing searches. Is there anything we can do? Can you clarify the nature of searches that needed to have been conducted for conveyancing in Fenstanton?

The question is not clear as what problems have arisen and if they are unique to conveyancing in Fenstanton. Conveyancing searches and investigations initiated as part of the legal transfer of property are supposed to help avoid problems. As part of the legal transfer of property, a property owner completes a document called a Seller’s Property Information Form. If the information provided is misleading, then you may have a claim against the vendor for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Fenstanton.

Are all Fenstanton Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing list of approved solicitors?

Some major banks and building societies now use CQS as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their panels.

My husband and I are at the point of looking at flats in Fenstanton and I am about to put in an offer. Is it sensible to have my lawyer on ‘stand by’? I will be getting a home loan with RBS.

You should start obtaining conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the EA. As you are seeking a mortgage with RBS, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the RBS conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

My offer was accepted on a house in Fenstanton on 10/10/2025, valuation was booked 2 days later, received a clean bill of health. Conveyancer appointed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Skipton and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Skipton conveyancing panel. Are Skipton entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?

A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Skipton to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Skipton conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in Fenstanton. Now, I need the files however the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing 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 Fenstanton of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in last month in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Fenstanton is the location of the property. Can you offer any opinion?

Flying freeholds in Fenstanton are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Fenstanton you would need to get your solicitor to go 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 Fenstanton 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.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor flat in Fenstanton. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, however I have just had a yearly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

It best that you discharge the invoice as you normally would given that all rents and service invoices will be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I bought a 1st floor flat in Fenstanton, conveyancing having been completed in 2009. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Fenstanton with a long lease are worth £206,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease finishes on 21st October 2091

With 66 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £11,400 and £13,200 as well as 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 advice on the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.