Having been suggested to visit your organisation we were going to go ahead with a conveyancing solicitor in St Werburghs found by you but have come across alternative costs illustrations on the internet look less expensive – why is this?

There are a variety of solicitors offering what appear to be cut price. We would encourage you to think long and hard as to how much you respect your own move to you are willing to take 'cheap' risks concerning the standard of the legal work. Some embed additional charges deep into the terms of engagement. The solicitors that we put forward for conveyancing in St Werburghs will notbehave this way.

We're in St Werburghs, First timers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is Leeds Building Society , and our solicitor is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no solicitor should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

My wife and I are selling our home in St Werburghs and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being constructed on contaminated land. A high street St Werburghs conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers used a factory type conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in St Werburghs. We have lived in St Werburghs for 5 years we know that this is a non issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to get confirmation need.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer already. What do they say? You need to check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same illness)

I have been pointed in your direction by a number of estate agents in St Werburghs to choose a solicitor using your seach tool. What’s the financial inducement for Estate Agents to offer your lawyers over and above another?

We don’t give any financial incentive for directing people in our direction. We thought it would be too underhand a fee as home movers will think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of maisonettes in St Werburghs which have about 50 years remaining on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There are plenty of short leases in St Werburghs. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a period of time. As a lease shortens the marketability of the lease deteriorates and results in it becoming more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is generally wise to increase the term of the lease. Sometimes it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this field.

I bought a ground floor flat in St Werburghs, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar properties in St Werburghs with a long lease are worth £211,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2092

With only 67 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £10,500 and £12,000 as well as costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.