It is a dozen years since I purchased my property in Tilehurst. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been instructed on the sale but I am unable to find the title deeds. Is this a problem?

You need not be too concerned. First the deeds may be retained by your mortgage company or they could be in the possession of the solicitor who handled your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the property will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Tilehurst relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.

My wife and I have recently appointed a conveyancing solicitor in Tilehurst. I I would like to check if they are accepted on the conveyancing panel. Can you help?

You should contact the lawyer and enquire whether they are on the lender panel. Otherwise you can get in touch with who may be able to confirm.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Tilehurst. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Tilehurst

Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Please confirm the Lease plans are architect prepared. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. 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. Please supply a car parking plan.

I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor flat in Tilehurst. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, but I have just had a yearly service charge invoice – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is pay the invoice as normal as all ground rent and maintenance payments should be allotted on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I own a 1st floor flat in Tilehurst, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Tilehurst with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease ends on 21st October 50

With 50 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

Why do Tilehurst conveyancing charges differ for leasehold and freehold properties?

There is always more work required for leasehold conveyancing. Tilehurst has many leasehold properties. There is more paperwork involved in the purchase: for example, the lease and leasehold information (including current service charge, ground rent and buildings insurance details) obtained from the freeholder or managing agents. There are strict criteria that the lease must meet in order to be acceptable to a mortgage company. If it does not meet these requirements, the lease must be amended, which can involve additional expense for the seller.