I am expecting a offer of a home loan from Halifax. My intention is to instruct a Licensed Conveyancer in Nottinghamshire. Does the Halifax Solicitor panel include conveyancers regulated by the CLC?

The Halifax conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, associated to the Council or Mortgage Lenders or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.

Should my lawyer be making enquiries about flooding during the conveyancing in Nottinghamshire.

Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers dealing with homes in Nottinghamshire. Some people will acquire a house in Nottinghamshire, fully expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, suitable insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous checks that may be undertaken by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which can figure out the risks in Nottinghamshire. The conventional set of information sent to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a usual inquiry of the vendor to discover if the premises has historically flooded. In the event that the premises has been flooded in past which is not revealed by the vendor, then a buyer may bring a legal claim for losses as a result of such an misleading response. A buyer’s lawyers may also carry out an environmental report. This will disclose if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations will need to be made.

I'm buying my first flat in Nottinghamshire with the aid of help to buy. The builders would not reduce the amount so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The house builders rep suggested that I not disclose to my lawyer about the side-deal as it may affect my mortgage with the lender. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Nottinghamshire ahead of instructing conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor has said that some lenders will refuse to issue a mortgage on this type of house.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different requirements from Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can look into this further via the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Nottinghamshire. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Nottinghamshire to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Nottinghamshire from the point of view of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Nottinghamshire can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers’ representatives.
If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should make sure that you are holding the original share certificate. Arranging a new share certificate can be a lengthy process and delays many a Nottinghamshire home move. Where a reissued share is required, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Nottinghamshire leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord consenting to such works. Should you dont have the approvals in place you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer in advance. If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing.

I am the registered owner of a 1st floor flat in Nottinghamshire, conveyancing was carried out 9 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar properties in Nottinghamshire with an extended lease are worth £176,000. The ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2105

With only 80 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £8,600 and £9,800 plus professional fees.

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