We are selling our house in Pitstone. Does my have to be required to be on the conveyancing panel in order to deal with repayment of my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their specifications fairly frequently currently.

Can I be sure that the Pitstone conveyancing solicitor on the panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Pitstone obtaining recommendations is a sensible start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always recommend that you speak with the lawyer handling your transaction.

Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Pitstone. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?

Most banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Department at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.

Having read lots of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Pitstone solicitor - who is on the conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?

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

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and found one close by in Pitstone I like with open areas and transport links nearby, however it's only got 51 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Pitstone for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

Should you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

I have been sourcing a conveyancing solicitor in Pitstone for my remortgage. Is there any facility to check a solicitor's record with the profession’s regulator?

One may see presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors record, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator could recorded call for training requirements.

Expecting to exchange soon on a garden flat in Pitstone. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they will have a report out to me within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Pitstone should include some of the following:

specifics of the parties to the lease, e.g. these could be the tennant, superior lessor, freeholder Whether the lease restricts you from letting out the flat, or working from home Does the lease require carpeting throughout thus preventing wood flooring? Setting out your legal entitlements in respect of common areas in the block.For example, does the lease contain a right of way over a path or hallways? You should be sent a copy of the lease

I inherited a split level flat in Pitstone, conveyancing was carried out in 1995. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding properties in Pitstone with a long lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease ceases on 21st October 50

With just 50 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £36,100 and £41,800 plus costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.