My husband and I are hoping to buy a purpose built apartment in South Petherton and Lambrook with a loan from Alliance & Leicester .We like our South Petherton and Lambrook conveyancing solicitor but Alliance & Leicester informed us he's not listed on their approved list of member firms. We have to appoint a Alliance & Leicester panel solicitor or keep our preferred solicitor and fork out for a Alliance & Leicester panel lawyer to act for them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?

Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you contains terms and conditions, one of which will be that solicitors will be on the Alliance & Leicester solicitor panel. in the past, most banks had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Alliance & Leicester

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in South Petherton and Lambrook?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in South Petherton and Lambrook. 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…’

How does conveyancing in South Petherton and Lambrook differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in South Petherton and Lambrook approach us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is ready to move into. This is because developers in South Petherton and Lambrook tend to acquire the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in South Petherton and Lambrook or who has acted in the same development.

I am looking for a flat up to £195,000 and found one close by in South Petherton and Lambrook I like with open areas and transport links in the vicinity, however it only has 52 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in South Petherton and Lambrook suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

If you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be problematic. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

I own a leasehold flat in South Petherton and Lambrook. Conveyancing and Halifax mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1992. The conveyancing solicitor in South Petherton and Lambrook who acted for me is not around. Any advice?

The first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry to be sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to instruct a South Petherton and Lambrook conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I acquired a leasehold flat in South Petherton and Lambrook, conveyancing having been completed January 2006. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar flats in South Petherton and Lambrook with a long lease are worth £197,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2081

With 56 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £29,500 and £34,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.