Me and my partner are acquiring a maisonette in Rye. My lawyer has never been on on the mortgage company approved list. Is it possible for me to retain my Rye conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are not on the mortgage company panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?

You will need to have a conveyancer to deal with the formalities when you need a mortgage to buy your property. They will conduct all the appropriate investigations on the property, ensuring that you’re registered as proprietor and ensure that all the necessary mortgage documentation is dealt with. You could instruct a Rye conveyancing practitioner of your choice. Nevertheless, if the lawyer selected is not on the mortgage company solicitor panel additional costs will be incurred as separate legal representation will be need by the bank. Lender panel applications may be submitted, so provided your conveyancer has not in the past sought membership they should take the chance to apply.

I am helping my aunt sell her flat in Rye. Will the conveyancer order an energy assessment or should I organise this?

Following the abolition of Home Information Packs, EPC’s remained a required element of selling a house. An energy performance certificate needs to be to hand prior to the property being advertised. This is not something that solicitors normally organise. Where you are instructing a Rye conveyancing solicitor they might help arrange EPC’s due to their contacts with reputable Rye providers

My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Rye. Conveyancing is necessary. What are my next steps?

Now that you are for all intents and purposes signed on the dotted line you must instruct a conveyancing solicitor quickly as you will have a fast approaching a fixed date to complete the purchase. All auction property will have a bespoke legal pack. This should include evidence of title and search results. If you have purchased leasehold premises the auction pack should contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing documentation pertinent to a leasehold property. You must pass this on to the solicitor working for you at the earliest opportunity. Do make sure that that you have the requisite funding in order to complete on the on the contractual date .

I have a mortgage with Clydesdale for my property in Rye. Conveyancing has been completed months ago. If I am intending to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Clydesdale?

Your original mortgage agreement with Clydesdale will provide that you need their approval in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Clydesdale’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Clydesdale directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Clydesdale conveyancing panel firm.

My friend recommended that where I am purchasing in Rye I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Rye conveyancing searches. It is a large report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing important information about Rye around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Rye Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Rye Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Rye.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and found one near me in Rye I like with open areas and railway links nearby, however it only has 49 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Rye suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?

Should you need a home loan that many years will be an issue. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

I have just started marketing my garden flat in Rye. Conveyancing has not commenced, however I have recently had a quarterly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is clear the invoice as you normally would as all ground rent and service invoices will be allotted on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies 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 own a basement flat in Rye, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar properties in Rye with over 90 years remaining are worth £201,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease runs out on 21st October 2089

With just 64 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £14,300 and £16,400 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.