The vendors of the property we are purchasing have instructed a conveyancing practitioner in Haslington who has insisted on a exclusivity agreement with a payment of 5k. Are such agreements sensible?

There are a couple of main downsides with signing a lock out contract (sometimes referred to as a no-shop agreement) is that it takes away the focus from making progress with the conveyancing transaction itself, so unless it requires limited or no negotiation then it could turn out to be a cause of frustration and delay. It is not promoted amongst Haslington conveyancing solicitors for this reason. The other main concern is the extent of the remedies available - a jilted buyer is extremely unlikely to obtain an injunction to prevent the vendor disposing of the property to another buyer, so the only remedy available under the agreement will be the recovery of wasted costs and, in rare situations, the additional payment of damages.

At what point can the exchange of contracts occur in domestic conveyancing in Haslington and am I required to attend the conveyancers office?

If you are local to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Haslington you are invited in to sign contracts. That being said, the law practices we recommend provide countrywide coverage for conveyancing and provide as equally diligent and professional a job for you when dealing with you by post or email. The executing of the contract is not the point of no return. A signed contract is necessary for the firm to officially exchange at the suitable time, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The exchange process is is usually a five minute process, although where an extended "chain" is in play, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Haslington)to be in the office at the appropriate time.

My wife and I are downsizing from our property in Haslington and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was built land that was not decontaminated. A high street Haslington lawyer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers instructed a factory type conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Haslington. Having lived in Haslington for many years we know of no issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to seek confirmation that there is no issue.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. What do they say? You need to check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same ailment)

We're new on the property ladder - had an offer accepted, yet the agent advised that the vendor will only proceed if we instruct their recommended solicitors as they need an ‘expedited deal’. We would rather use a local solicitor accustomed to conveyancing in Haslington

We suspect that the owner is not behind this request. Should the owner require ‘a quick sale', alienating a serious purchaser is going to damage their objectives. Speak to the owners direct and explain that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you are chain free (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you are going to instruct your preferred Haslington conveyancing solicitors - as opposed tothose that will earn the negotiator at the agency a kickback or achieve conveyancing figures demanded by corporate headquarters.

We expect to complete the sale of our £125,000 flat in Haslington in seven days. The freeholder has quoted £396 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Haslington?

Haslington conveyancing on leasehold flats normally requires the purchaser’s solicitor submitting questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to address these enquiries the majority will be content to do so. They may charge a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it is in excess of £800. The administration charge demanded by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration fees, without which the invoice is technically not due. In reality one has no option but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to sell the property.

I own a 1st floor flat in Haslington, conveyancing formalities finalised 6 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Haslington with a long lease are worth £206,000. The ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2091

With just 66 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £11,400 and £13,200 plus professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.