My mortgage broker has requested my Lower Earley solicitor’s panel member for the HSBC conveyancing panel. What is the best way to obtain this. I have called my local Lower Earley office but they have not responded to me.

The sensible thing to do is ask for this information from your Lower Earley property lawyer . Most Lower Earley conveyancing practices will retain a file or database of lender panel information which would include, if applicable, their conveyancing panel details for each lender.

Do lawyers ask for money up-front when it comes to conveyancing in Lower Earley?

If you are buying a property in Lower Earley your lawyer will ask you put them with funds to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. This will be the total of the cost of the conveyancing searches. If any down payment is as part of the total price then this should be asked for immediately ahead of contracts are exchanged. Any further balance that is due should be transferred shortly before completion.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and identified one close by in Lower Earley I like with a park and transport links nearby, however it's only got 49 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Lower Earley for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

If you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be an issue. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you could ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this.

I am intending to rent out my leasehold flat in Lower Earley. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?

Even though your last Lower Earley conveyancing solicitor is not around you can review your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the property. The rule is that if the lease is silent, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you are obliged to seek consent from your landlord or other appropriate person in advance of subletting. This means that you cannot sublet in the absence of prior consent. Such consent should not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

I purchased a garden flat in Lower Earley, 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? Equivalent properties in Lower Earley with a long lease are worth £216,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2094

With 69 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

My partner and I hope to buy our first house in Lower Earley. Conveyancing practitioner has been chosen. The financial consultant suggested that a survey is not appropriate as the property is just 17 years old.

You would be best advised to take a Home Buyer's Report. As the premises was built more than a decade ago the property will not benefit from a warranty, so you would be well advised not to take a risk. For a property that age with no signs of problems a Home Buyer's report may be sufficient. They will highlight any obvious problems and recommend additional investigation where appropriate. Where there are any indications of problems get a full structural survey.