Is the fact that my solicitor in Kenilworth is not on my mortgage company's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of the firm’s conveyancing?

It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should contact the Kenilworth conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.

The housing market in Kenilworth is hotting up. What can I do to expedite matters?

In a situation where the seller is applying time constraints to complete it is highly recommended that your solicitor is familiar with the area as they will have local relationships and know-how. It is even conceivable that they may have handled otherhomes in the same neighbourhood. Therefore consider using a Kenilworth conveyancing lawyer. In addition, double check that the lawyer is on the member panel. It is said that just under twenty per cent of Kenilworth conveyancing transactions are delayed or derailed after discovering a purchaser’s conveyancer was not on their mortgage lender’s panel. In many cases this discovery resulted in the conveyancing being delayed by almost 21 days. It is claimed that this issue affects in the region of one hundred thousand home moves annually. Almost all Kenilworth conveyancing practices can not act for certain mortgage companies so do check at the outset.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in Kenilworth?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Kenilworth. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one close by in Kenilworth I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it only has 51 years on the lease. There is not much else in Kenilworth suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

If you require a mortgage that many years may be an issue. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you can request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

There are only 62 years unexpired on my lease in Kenilworth. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is missing. What options are available to me?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to find the freeholder. On the whole a specialist would be useful to conduct investigations and prepare a report to be used as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Kenilworth.

I bought a garden flat in Kenilworth, conveyancing was carried out January 2002. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in Kenilworth with an extended lease are worth £180,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease expires on 21st October 2083

With only 58 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £22,800 and £26,400 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.