I am considering applying for a UBS mortgage for purchase of a new build (under development) in Hale End with 60% LTV. Is it compulsory to choose a solicitor on the conveyancing panel for UBS ?

There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but UBS will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is greater potential for delays and confusion with an additional lawyer added to the mix, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.

I happen to be the only recipient of my late grandmother’s estate and I have everything in my name alone, including the my former home in Hale End. The Hale End property was put into my name in July. I want to move. I understand that there is a Mortgage Lenders six month 'rule', meaning my proprietorship could be treated the same way as if I'd bought the property in July. Will no one buy the property for half a year?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook requires solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you may be affected by that. Most lenders would take a practical view as this provision is chiefly there to pick up on subsales or the flipping of property.

The mortgage over my property is with Barclays for my property in Hale End. Conveyancing has been completed months ago. If I am intending to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Barclays?

You must advise Barclays in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Barclays’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Barclays will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Barclays directly. You need not do this via a Barclays conveyancing panel solicitor.

I can not work out if my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called into my local Hale End bank branch on a couple of occasions and was informed it wasn't a problem and they will lend. My Hale End conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they will not lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I simply don't know who is right.

As long as the conveyancer is on the mortgage company approved list, she or he must adhere to the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook provisions for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in last month in what should have been a simple, no chain conveyancing. Hale End is the location of the property. Is there any advice you can give?

Flying freeholds in Hale End are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Hale End you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Hale End may ascertain 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 residence.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Hale End from the point of view of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Hale End can be reduced if you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers’ representatives.
You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to double-check by asking your conveyancers. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the remaining number of years is below 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale. If there is a history of any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where a dispute is ongoing. You may need to swallow your pride and pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as historic rather than ongoing. The majority of landlords or Management Companies in Hale End levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Hale End. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Hale End leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. Should you dont have the approvals in place do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer in advance.

I am the registered owner of a studio flat in Hale End, conveyancing formalities finalised in 1997. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable flats in Hale End with a long lease are worth £216,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2093

With only 68 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £9,500 and £11,000 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

My partner and I expecting to complete on the purchase a house in Hale End but as a consequence of damage from the recent storms I have negotiated compensation from the current proprietors of five thousand pounds taking the form of a adjustment in the price. I had intended this to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process but the mortgage company will not agree to this. Should they have been involved?

The solicitor that is on a mortgage company approved list is duty bound to inform the mortgage company of any variations to the sale figure. If you prohibit your conveyancing practitioner to report the reduction to your lender then they would have to discontinue acting for you and the bank.