We previously chose conveyancers based in Long Sutton on the Coventry BS solicitor approved list. They have just billed me an additional fee for the legal aspects of the Coventry BS mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Coventry BS?

Provided it is contained in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your solicitor may charge a fee for this. This fee is not dictated by Coventry BS but by your Long Sutton solicitor. Plenty of firms on the Coventry BS panel will quote an ‘acting for lender’ fee but plenty of practices include it on their overall fee.

My wife and I are in the process of looking at houses in Long Sutton and I am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a conveyancing practitioner in place at this point? I am planning to take a home loan with Nationwide.

It would be sensible to start your search sooner rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the selling agent. As you are getting a mortgage with Nationwide, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Nationwide conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

I have instructed a Long Sutton conveyancing practitioner having checked that they are on the UBS conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

UBS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually UBS will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your solicitor will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Long Sutton postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with UBS, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Long Sutton.

I need some expedited conveyancing in Long Sutton as I am under an ultimatum to complete within 3 weeks. Thankfully I do not require a mortgage. Is it possible to decline from having conveyancing searches to save fees and time?

As you are not taking a home loan you are at liberty not to do searches although no law firm would advise that you don't. With plenty of history conveyancing in Long Sutton the following are examples of what can appear and adversely impact future saleability: Refused Planning Applications, Outstanding Charges, Outstanding Grants, Railway Schemes,...

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in Long Sutton. Now, I need my documents but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing 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 Long Sutton of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Long Sutton with the aim of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Long Sutton can be bypassed where you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers’ lawyers.
You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be advisable double-check by asking your lawyers. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is under 75 years. It is therefore essential at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale. A minority of Long Sutton leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying 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 lawyers. Many landlords or Management Companies in Long Sutton charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Long Sutton.

I acquired a split level flat in Long Sutton, conveyancing having been completed in 1995. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Equivalent properties in Long Sutton with a long lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease terminates on 21st October 2078

You have 53 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £27,600 and £31,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

Should I cancel the direct debit for my mortgage with Coventry BS once a completion date for my home sale in Long Sutton has been agreed?

No, you should maintain meeting any mortgage payments to Coventry BS until the mortgage is paid off from the proceeds of sale as part of your Long Sutton conveyancing.