My financial adviser has requested my Portsmouth lawyer’ panel member for the Santander conveyancing panel. How do I find this out. I have contacted my local Portsmouth office but they have not responded to me.

You are best placed to get this information from your Portsmouth lawyer . They keep a central record lender panel numbers.

What is the difference between a licensed conveyancer and conveyancing solicitor in Portsmouth

There are two types of lawyers who can carry out conveyancing in Portsmouth namely CLC regulated conveyancers or solicitors. Both professionals administer the legal services that you need to complete the disposal or acquisition of property. Both are required to conduct Portsmouth conveyancing on similar quality and guidelines so you can be safe in the knowledge that your conveyancing will be professionally conducted and that the requirements and procedures will be suitably taken.

This question may be naive but I am new to the house moving as a 1st time buyer of a two bedroom flat in Portsmouth. Do I pick up the keys to the property on completion from my solicitor? If so, I will appoint a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Portsmouth?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will electronically transfer the completion advance to the vendor’s solicitors, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you will be called to pick up the keys from the property Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen between 1 and 3pm.

It is not clear whether my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called my Portsmouth bank branch on numerous occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they would lend. My Portsmouth conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called and was told they will not lend based on their specific requirements. Who do I believe?

The property lawyer has to comply with the CML Handbook section two conditions for your lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

What can a local search tell me about the property my wife and I purchasing in Portsmouth?

Portsmouth conveyancing often starts with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search company such as Searches UK The local search plays an important part in most Portsmouth conveyancing purchase; as long as you don’t want any nasty surprises after you move into your new home. The search should provide information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen topic headings.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Portsmouth?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Portsmouth. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I've found a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have since discovered that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Portsmouth. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Portsmouth are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Portsmouth so you should seriously consider looking for a Portsmouth conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the landlord’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your solicitor will advise you fully on all the issues.

I inherited a 1st floor flat in Portsmouth, conveyancing formalities finalised June 2003. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Portsmouth with over 90 years remaining are worth £171,000. The ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease expires on 21st October 2105

With 79 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £7,600 and £8,800 plus professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other 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.