What happens if my solicitor is suspended from the HSBC Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Seaford?

The first thing to point out is that, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.

Have just purchased a repossessed house at auction in Seaford. Conveyancing is necessary. What are my next steps?

Now that you are legally committed yourself to purchase you should choose a conveyancing practitioner as a matter of priority as you are facing a fast approaching a fixed date to complete the transaction. An auction property should have a corresponding auction pack. This will likely include evidence of title and search results. Where you are dealing with leasehold property the conveyancing pack should provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing documentation specific to a leasehold property. You need to hand this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor ASAP. You also need to ensure that you have funds organised to complete on the on the contractual date .

I have instructed a Seaford solicitor having made sure that they are on the Principality conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Principality will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Principality 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. You may wish to consider appointing your own Seaford surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

Nationwide have agreed my home loan in principle, my offer on a house in Seaford has been accepted, now what?

The estate agent will want to know who your solicitors are (be sure the conveyancing practitioners are on the lender’s approved list). Telephone Nationwide or the broker and finish off any relevant paperwork. Nationwide will sellect a valuer who will get in contact with the selling agent or seller to schedule a time for the valuation to occur. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes about ten days for the mortgage offer to be issued. Nationwide will issue the offer to you and your conveyancers. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Seaford.

I am purchasing a new build house in Seaford with a mortgage from The Mortgage Works. The builders would not budge the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The sale representative advised me not to tell my solicitor about this extras as it may jeopardize my mortgage with The Mortgage Works. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

As co-executor for the will of my grandmother I am selling a property in Newport but live in Seaford. My lawyer (approximately 200 kilometers from mehas requested that I sign a statutory declaration before completion. Can you recommend a conveyancing practitioner in Seaford to attest this legal document for me?

strictly speaking you should not need to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are located in Seaford

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of flats in Seaford which have in the region of 50 years unexpired on the leases. should I be concerned?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Seaford is a deteriorating asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it reduces the marketability of the premises. The majority of purchasers and banks, leases with less than 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a property with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Seaford conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I bought a studio flat in Seaford, conveyancing having been completed 8 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in Seaford with an extended lease are worth £192,000. The ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2079

With only 54 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £32,300 and £37,400 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.