We are buying a house in Lewes. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a solicitor? At some point we will need to send funds into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our deposit?

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.

I am assisting my niece sell her house in Lewes. Does the conveyancing solicitor order an energy assessment or should I organise this?

Following the demise of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates remained a compulsory part of moving property. An energy assessment must be to hand in advance of the property being put on the market. It is not something that law firms normally arrange. If you are using a Lewes conveyancing lawyer they might help arrange energy performance certificates due to their contacts with reputable Lewes accredited person

My aunt informed me that in buying a property in Lewes there could be various restrictions as to what one can do in terms of external changes to a property. Is this right?

There are anumerous of properties in Lewes which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external changes. Part of the conveyancing in Lewes should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

Do commercial conveyancing searches reveal proposed roadworks that may affect a commercial site in Lewes?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Lewes will conduct a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers expend in looking into accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Lewes. The report provides definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Lewes.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Lewes it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately can result in delays to Lewes commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not conducted for residential conveyancing in Lewes.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Lewes I like with a park and railway links nearby, the downside is that it only has 61 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Lewes for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease may be problematic. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least twenty four months you could ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.

My husband and I are first time buyers - had an offer accepted, but the selling agent has warned us that the seller will only go ahead if we instruct the agent's preferred lawyers as they need a ‘quick sale’. We would rather use a family conveyancer who is accustomed to conveyancing in Lewes

We suspect that the owner is unaware of this ultimatum. Should the vendor require ‘a quick sale', turning down a genuine buyer is counter productive. Bypass the agents and go straight to the sellers and explain that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances in place © you have nothing to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you are going to appoint your own,trusted Lewes conveyancing solicitors - not the ones that will give the estate agent a introducer fee or hit his conveyancing targets set by head office.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of apartments in Lewes which have approximately fifty years left on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Lewes is a deteriorating asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it reduces the marketability of the property. The majority of buyers and banks, leases with under eighty years become less and less attractive. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises 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 premises 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 Lewes conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new 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 invested in buying a split level flat in Lewes, conveyancing formalities finalised in 1995. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar flats in Lewes with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease ceases on 21st October 50

With 50 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £36,100 and £41,800 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.