Is there a reason why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Halesowen costs more?

Halesowen leasehold properties involve far more paperwork than a freehold purchase, and therefore takes more time to examine and advise upon.Conveyancing will involve the lease having to be checked which is usually a lengthy document, queries raised to ensure that the covenants and conditions have been observed. If it is a flat there will be a management company in existence and the accounts of this will need to be checked and enquiries raised to ensure it is operating efficiently and that all monies due have been paid by the Seller to the company and if not ensuring that money is paid up to date or the appropriate undertakings obtained.

I used Action Conveyancing a few years past for my conveyancing in Halesowen. I now require my file but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

You should call 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 Halesowen 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.

I am purchasing a new build house in Halesowen with a loan from Virgin Money. The developers would not budge the price so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The property agent told me not to tell my conveyancer about this extras as it could impact my loan with Virgin Money. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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.

Due to the input of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Halesowen in advance of instructing lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor has said that some mortgage companies will not issue a loan on this type of premises.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Nationwide. If you e-mail us we can check via the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Halesowen. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

Helen (my wife) and I may need to rent out our Halesowen 1st floor flat for a while due to a career opportunity. We used a Halesowen conveyancing firm in 2001 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

A lease dictates the relationship between the freeholder and you the leaseholder; in particular, it will set out if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The rule is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. Most leases in Halesowen do not contain an absolute prevention of subletting – such a clause would adversely affect the market value the flat. In most cases there is simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a duplicate of the tenancy agreement.

I acquired a basement flat in Halesowen, conveyancing was carried out April 2006. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent flats in Halesowen with over 90 years remaining are worth £265,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2101

With only 76 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £8,600 and £9,800 plus costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to 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.