I am buying a property mortgage free in Thorpe Astley. I have been living for the last Seventeen years in Thorpe Astley. Conveyancing searches are a lot of money. As I have knowledge of the area and road very well must I have all the conveyancing searches?

In the absence of a home loan, then the vast majority of the Thorpe Astley conveyancing searches are optional. Your lawyer will try and steer you, perhaps strongly, that you should have searches carried out, but he is duty bound to do this. One thing to bear in mind; if you are intend to dispose of the house in the future, it will be of relevance to your prospective purchaser what the searches disclose. On occasion houses with no practical issues can still reveal detrimental search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Thorpe Astley will be able to give you some sensible guidance concerning this.

It is 10 years ago since I bought my property in Thorpe Astley. Conveyancing solicitors have just been retained on the sale but I can't track down the title documents. Is this a problem?

Don’t worry too much. Firstly the deeds may be kept by the lender or they may be in the possession of the conveyancers who acted in your purchase. Secondly in all probability the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers procuring current official copies of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Thorpe Astley relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is not registered it is more of a problem but is not insurmountable.

Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a searchable register to to identify solicitors on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel for example in Thorpe Astley?

We would not expect to be advised of any intention on the part of the BSA to promote such a search facility.

In surfing the web for the words cheap conveyancing in Thorpe Astley it shows results of many solicitorslocally. How do I determine which is the suitable solicitor for my move?

The ideal method of seeking the right conveyancer is via personal recommendation, so enquire of friends and relatives who have bought a property in Thorpe Astley or a reputable estate agent or financial adviser. Fees for conveyancing in Thorpe Astley vary, so it's advisable to secure a minimum of four fee calculations from varying types of property lawyers. Be sure to obtain confirmation that the costs are guaranteed not to increase.

I am a negotiator for a reputable estate agent office in Thorpe Astley where we have experienced a number of leasehold sales put at risk as a result of short leases. I have received conflicting advice from local Thorpe Astley conveyancing firms. Can you clarify whether the owner of a flat can instigate the lease extension process for the buyer?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser need not have to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

An alternative approach is to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

I bought a garden flat in Thorpe Astley, conveyancing formalities finalised in 1998. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable properties in Thorpe Astley with a long lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease expires on 21st October 2078

With only 53 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £27,600 and £31,800 as well as costs.

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 a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.