Please could you suggest a Skipton Building Society accepted Gloucester conveyancing lawyer who can have us moved in within 28 days? Am I best advised to go for a local Gloucester firm or an online conveyancer?

We would be happy to suggest some excellent Gloucester conveyancing firms. You can also walk up the main road in Gloucester. Visit two or three firms and ask to see a conveyancing solicitor for a costs illustration. Mention your time frames together with your reasons and get an assurance on your deadline. Choose the one that appears most efficient.

I purchased a freehold house in Gloucester but nevertheless invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Gloucester and has limited impact for conveyancing in Gloucester but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of fresh rentcharges post 1977.

Old rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.

I am purchasing my first flat in Gloucester benefiting from help to buy. The developers would not move on the amount so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative told me not disclose to my conveyancer about this side-deal as it will put at risk my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one near me in Gloucester I like with open areas and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 51 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Gloucester in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

If you require a home loan that many years will be an issue. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Gloucester. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I own a ground floor flat in Gloucester, conveyancing was carried out February 2010. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar properties in Gloucester with a long lease are worth £190,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2086

With just 61 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £18,100 and £20,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.