I am in the throes of switching my domestic home loan to a BTL Lloyds TSB Bank mortgage. The bank has said that I must appoint a solicitor for this. I had a chat my past Melbourn conveyancing firm who dealt with the legals when I originally purchased the house. The costs illustration e-mailed to me of £450 plus VAT is surprising as its a refinance than a sale or purchase.

The quote is fractionally on the expensive side. If you you were to look around you could get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by say a hundred pounds. On the other hand, providing that you were happy with the legal work the firm provided you mightlive to regret opting for an an untested conveyancer. If is important to ensure that the conveyancer can also act for Lloyds TSB Bank. You can use our search tool to locate a Melbourn conveyancing firm on the Lloyds TSB Bank approved list of lawyers, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Melbourn.

I need some fast conveyancing in Melbourn as I am faced with pressure to complete within 3 weeks. A mortgage is not required. Can I escape the need for conveyancing searches to save fees and time?

If.Given you are are a cash buyer you are at liberty not to have searches conducted although no lawyer would suggest that you don't. Drawing on years of experience of conveyancing in Melbourn the following are instances of issues that can be revealed and therefore impact future saleability: Refused Planning Applications, Overdue Fees, Outstanding Grants, Railway Schemes,...

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £305k and identified one round the corner in Melbourn I like with a park and transport links nearby, however it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Melbourn suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

Should you need a mortgage that many years will likely be an issue. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.

I have been recommended by a number of selling agents in Melbourn to find a property lawyer on your site. What’s the financial inducement for Estate Agents to promote your services ahead of another?

We don’t give any referral fee for sending work to this site. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission as home movers will think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

I have just started marketing my ground floor apartment in Melbourn. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, however I have recently received a half-yearly service charge demand – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is pay the service charge as usual because all ground rent and maintenance charges will be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I invested in buying a studio flat in Melbourn, conveyancing was carried out January 1995. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Similar properties in Melbourn with over 90 years remaining are worth £180,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 per annum. The lease ends on 21st October 2084

With just 59 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £20,900 and £24,200 as well as 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 in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.