We have very brash sellers who has recommended a lock out contract with a non-refundable deposit of 5k. Are such agreements sensible?

There are two main drawbacks with entering into any lock out contract (also referred to as an exclusivity agreement) is that it can distract from moving forward with the conveyancing work, so unless it requires little or no negotiation then it could turn out to be unhelpful. It is not particularly popular amongst Pound Hill conveyancing lawyers for this reason. The other main negative is the extent of the remedies available - a jilted buyer is very unlikely to be granted injunctive relief to prevent the seller selling to another buyer, so the only remedy open via the agreement will be the reimbursement of abortive charges and, in limited scenarios, the additional payment of damages.

We are selling our house in Pound Hill. Will my conveyancing practitioner need to be required to be on the RBS conveyancing panel in order to deal with repayment of my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the RBS 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 panel criteria fairly frequently currently.

I am buying a new build flat in Pound Hill. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.

Set out below are examples of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Pound Hill

Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Please confirm the Lease plans are architect prepared. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents.

Am I best advised to instruct a Pound Hill conveyancing practitioner based in the area that I am hoping to buy? An old friend can carry out the legal formalities however her office is 300miles away.

The primary upside of using a high street Pound Hill conveyancing firm is that you can pop in to sign documents, present your identification documents and pester them if necessary. Having local Pound Hill know how is a plus. However it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If if people you trust instructed your friend and in the main were happy that should trump using an unfamiliar Pound Hill conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being Pound Hill based.

I’m about to sell my ground floor apartment in Pound Hill. Conveyancing has not commenced, however I have just had a half-yearly service charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is clear the service charge as usual as all rents and maintenance charges should be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I purchased a 1 bedroom flat in Pound Hill, conveyancing having been completed in 2000. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Pound Hill with over 90 years remaining are worth £176,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease expires on 21st October 2105

With 80 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.