A relative advised me that in purchasing a property in Somerset there may be various restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external changes to a property. Is this right?

There are anumerous of properties in Somerset which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Somerset should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as , do Somerset face an annual charge to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are not aware of any mortgage company fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

is it true that all Somerset solicitor firms on the conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As solicitors, in order to be on the conveyancing panel they would need to be overseen by the SRA. Some banks do list licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the practice would be overseen by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

About to purchase a new build apartment in Somerset. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.

Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Somerset

The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Please confirm the Lease plans are architect prepared. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? 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. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose?

Due to the input of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Somerset prior to appointing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the property. Our surveyor advised that some mortgage companies tend not give a mortgage on a flying freehold house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different instructions from Nationwide. If you call us we can check via the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Somerset. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

I want to rent out my leasehold apartment in Somerset. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

A lease dictates relations between the landlord and you the flat owner; in particular, it will indicate if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain caveats. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. Most leases in Somerset do not prevent an absolute prevention of subletting – such a clause would undoubtedly devalue the flat. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a copy of the tenancy agreement.

I inherited a 1 bedroom flat in Somerset, conveyancing was carried out 3 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Somerset with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 50

You have 50 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

Finally our conveyancing in Somerset is completing on Friday, but the sellers I am purchasing off wishes to vacate on the Saturday at 2pm. Should I agree to this?

You can't complete on a Saturday due to the bank systems are not operational.