We are planning to acquire a property and require a conveyancing solicitor in Leiston who is on the solicitor panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a solicitor?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Leiston.

My brother-in-law has suggested I instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Leiston. I need to find out if they are on the approved list of lawyers. Could you assist?

The first thing to do is call your lawyer and enquire if they are on the lender panel. Otherwise you should call who may be able to help.

Have just purchased a repossessed house at auction in Leiston. Conveyancing is necessary. What happens now?

Now that you are exchanged you must retain a conveyancing practitioner quickly as you are faced with a pending a fixed date to complete the property. All auction property will have a corresponding legal pack. This will include evidence of title and search results. If you have purchased leasehold premises the auction pack should contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing paperwork relating to leasehold premises. You should hand this to the lawyer working for you as soon as possible. Do make sure that you have funds in place to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Leiston. I have a mortgage agreed with . Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with , you will need to appoint a solicitor on the conveyancing panel.

The mortgage over my property is with for my property in Leiston. Conveyancing has been completed 12 months ago. In the event that I decide to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform ?

Your original mortgage agreement with will provide that you need their approval prior to letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of ’s mortgage conditions. It may be that will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact directly. You need not do this via a conveyancing panel solicitor.

I am attracted to a two apartments in Leiston which have about fifty years remaining on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Leiston is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the value of the premises. The majority of buyers and banks, leases with under 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Leiston conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I purchased a 1st floor flat in Leiston, conveyancing formalities finalised 3 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable properties in Leiston with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease expires on 21st October 50

With just 50 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £36,100 and £41,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.

What are my options where I am unhappy with the who carried out my conveyancing in Leiston?

We live in an imperfect world, and unfortunately sometimes things do go wrong. Nevertheless there is recourse where you were unhappy with your conveyancing in Leiston. This varies from trying to resolve matters directly with them, through to reporting a to their regulator. If things still aren’t sorted out you may consider enlisting the help of the Legal Ombudsman.