Do banks and building societies provide you with an approved list of Lewes conveyancing solicitors? How do you know who is on the Principality conveyancing panel?

Lewes conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Principality conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Principality directly.

Me and my partner are buying a flat in Lewes. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a solicitor? At some point we have to deposit our life savings into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our monies?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Lewes. Conveyancing is needed. What are my next steps?

Having legally committed yourself to purchase you must find a conveyancing solicitor quickly as you are facing a pending a drop dead date to complete the property. All auction property will ordinarily have a corresponding legal set of papers. This should include evidence of title and search results. In the case of leasehold premises the conveyancing pack should include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing paperwork relating to leasehold premises. You should give this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor ASAP. You also need to ensure that that you have the requisite funding organised to complete on the date specified in the contract.

I have finally had an offer on a maisonette in Lewes agreed to, the sellers do however have a tied purchase. The owners have offered on a property, but it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other apartments booked. I have selected a high street conveyancing solicitor in Lewes. What do I do now? When do I get the mortgage application with Leeds Building Society going?

It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses too early (mortgage application is approx £1k, then survey, Lewes conveyancing search charges, etc). First, you should check that your conveyancing practitioner is on the Leeds Building Society approved list. As to the next stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your transaction, desire for the property and on the state of the market. During a hot market some buyers would apply for the mortgage with Leeds Building Society and arrange for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they request their solicitor to move forward with searches.

I am purchasing my first flat in Lewes with a loan from Lloyds TSB Bank. The builders refused to move on the amount so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The property agent suggested that I not disclose to my lawyer about the extras as it will affect my loan with Lloyds TSB Bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I am using a search engine for the term cheap conveyancing in Lewes it reveals many property lawyersin the area. How do I determine which is the suitable property lawyer for me?

The best method of seeking the right conveyancer is via personal referral, so seek the opinion of friends and relatives who have purchased a property in Lewes or a local estate agent or financial adviser. Charges for conveyancing in Lewes vary, so it's sensible to request at least three estimates from varying types of solicitors. Be sure to secure confirmation what costs in the quote includes.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Lewes. Conveyancing and Platform Home Loans Ltd mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1992. The conveyancing practitioner in Lewes who previously acted has now retired. Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Lewes conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I inherited a 1 bedroom flat in Lewes, conveyancing was carried out in 2001. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable flats in Lewes with a long lease are worth £186,000. The ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease expires on 21st October 2078

With just 53 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £27,600 and £31,800 as well as costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.