My wife and I buying a terrace house in Malpas. Our aim is to convert the garage to a playroom at the house.Will the conveyancing process include checks to ascertain if these works are allowed?

Your solicitor will check the registered title as conveyancing in Malpas can sometimes identify restrictions in the title documents which prohibit categories of alterations or need the consent of a 3rd party. Certain extensions require local authority planning consent and approval in accordance building regulations. Some locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or affect extensions. It would be prudent to check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

My wife and I have organised the release of further funds on our mortgage from Coventry BS as we wish to conduct a loft conversion to our house in Malpas. Do we need to choose a high street Malpas solicitor on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?

Coventry BS would not normally appoint firms on their approved list of lawyers to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Coventry BS list.

I've read lots of house buying guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Malpas solicitor - who is on the Barclays conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

Barclays will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Barclays 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 property lawyer 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 Malpas postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Barclays, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Malpas.

We are purchasing a property and the solicitor has mentioned Chancel Repair to which the property may be liable as it falls into the area of such a church. She has mentioned insurance. Is this strictly warranted for conveyancing in Malpas

Unless a prior purchase of the premises took place after 12 October 2013 you can expect solicitors delivering conveyancing in Malpas to continue to advocate a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.

I decided to have a survey done on a property in Malpas prior to instructing solicitors. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. My surveyor has said that some banks may refuse to grant a loan on this type of house.

It varies from the lender to lender. HSBC has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to call us we can check with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Malpas. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Malpas to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.

What are the common defects that you come across in leases for Malpas properties?

Leasehold conveyancing in Malpas is not unique. All leases are drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain provisions are missing. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the building

A defective lease can cause problems when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Lloyds TSB Bank, Leeds Building Society, and Barclays Direct all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to provide security, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.

I own a 1st floor flat in Malpas, conveyancing formalities finalised 7 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable flats in Malpas with an extended lease are worth £180,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease runs out on 21st October 2084

You have 58 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £22,800 and £26,400 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

Our conveyancing in Malpas is completing on Friday, yet the people I am buying from wants to vacate on the Saturday midday. Can I agree to this?

In situations where you require a bank loan then your property lawyer will require that you have vacant possession on Friday - the lender will require it.