Various online forums that I have come across warn that are the primary reason for stalling in Kidderminster conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the common causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Searches are not likely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in Kidderminster.

I used Action Conveyancing a few years ago for my conveyancing in Kidderminster. Now, I need the documents but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down 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 Kidderminster 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 opted to have a survey done on a property in Kidderminster prior to retaining solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the house. My surveyor advised that some banks may refuse to issue a loan on a flying freehold property.

It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different instructions for example to Nationwide. If you e-mail us we can look into this further with the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Kidderminster. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Kidderminster especially if they are familiar with such properties in Kidderminster.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Kidderminster with the intention of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Kidderminster can be reduced if you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
If you have had conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as historic as opposed to unresolved. Some Kidderminster leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their solicitors. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Kidderminster leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such works. Where you fail to have the paperwork in place you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your lawyer in advance.

I acquired a 1 bedroom flat in Kidderminster, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Kidderminster with an extended lease are worth £202,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £60 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 2082

You have 57 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £28,500 and £33,000 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.

I have miscalculated my finances and am a few thousand pounds short a 10% deposit on my house purchase in Kidderminster , but I still want to proceed. What can I do?

You can accept a smaller deposit. Many vendors will accept a smaller deposit or even no deposit for a first time buyer or 100% mortgage. Be aware though that if you fail to complete you will still need to hand over a minimum of 10% of the purchase price regardless of how much deposit was agreed.

You can also agree a simultaneous exchange and completion as no deposit is required for this however neither party will be tied in until completion actually takes place and it can be risky if sellers change their mind at the last minute