My Harwich lawyer has uncovered an inconsistency when comparing the assumptions in the home valuation survey and what is in the legal papers for the property. My solicitor says that he needs to check that the lender is OK with this discrepancy and is still content to lend. Is my lawyer’s approach correct?

Your solicitor must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

What does a local search tell me concerning the property I am buying in Harwich?

Harwich conveyancing often starts with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search company for example PSG The local search is essential in every Harwich conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any nasty surprises after you move into your property. The search should provide information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 topic areas.

I have recentlybeen informed that Wolstenholmes have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Harwich for a purchase of a leasehold apartment 18 months ago. How can I check that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?

The easiest method to see if the premises is registered to you, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Harwich conveyancing specialists.

Just had an offer accepted on a new build apartment in Harwich. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Here are examples of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Harwich

Please supply a car parking plan. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided.

Frank (my husband) and I may need to rent out our Harwich basement flat for a while due to a career opportunity. We instructed a Harwich conveyancing practice in 2001 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to seek any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your previous Harwich conveyancing lawyer is not available you can review your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the apartment. The accepted inference is that if the lease is silent, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you must seek consent via your landlord or some other party in advance of subletting. This means that you cannot sublet without prior consent. Such consent is not allowed to be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease prohibits you from subletting the property you will need to ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I acquired a studio flat in Harwich, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2010. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent properties in Harwich with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced every year. The lease ends on 21st October 2080

With only 55 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £31,400 and £36,200 plus legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. 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 take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.