My wife and I are purchasing a new build duplex in Ouston and my lawyer is informing me that she has to the bank to disclose incentives from the builder. I am nearing the developer’s deadline to exchange contracts and my preference is not to prolong deal. Is my lawyer right?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your solicitor. A precondition to being on a bank panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

It is 10 years ago since I bought my property in Ouston. Conveyancing solicitors have recently been retained on the sale but I am unable to track down the title deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

Don’t worry too much. First the deeds may be kept by your mortgage company or they may still be with the conveyancers who oversaw your purchase. Secondly in all probability the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers acquiring current official copies of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Ouston involves registered property but in the rare situation where your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

Will our conveyancer be raising questions about flooding during the conveyancing in Ouston.

Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors specialising in conveyancing in Ouston. Plenty of people will buy a property in Ouston, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Conveyancers are not qualified to give advice on flood risk, however there are a numerous checks that can be carried out by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which can figure out the risks in Ouston. The standard completed inquiry forms supplied to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a standard question of the seller to discover if the property has suffered from flooding. In the event that the property has been flooded in past which is not notified by the owner, then a purchaser may bring a claim for damages stemming from an incorrect reply. The buyer’s conveyancers should also order an environmental search. This should disclose whether there is any known flood risk. If so, additional investigations will need to be made.

I am looking to sell my property. My former lawyers closed down. I am in need of a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. Im based in Ouston if that makes a difference.

Do use our search tool to help you choose a solicitor for your conveyancing in Ouston. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with regulated solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move goes smoothly.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the disposal of our £475,000 apartment in Ouston in just under a week. The managing agents has quoted £408 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Ouston?

Ouston conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally involves administration charges raised by managing agents :

Completing pre-contract questions Where consent is required before sale in Ouston Copies of the building insurance and schedule Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Ouston leasehold premises is £350. For Ouston conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to provide answers.

I own a 2 bed flat in Ouston, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Ouston with a long lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease finishes on 21st October 2076

With just 51 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £30,400 and £35,200 plus costs.

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 the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.