I am helping my mother sell her flat in Uppingham. Will the conveyancing solicitor order the EPC or should I organise this?

After the demise of Home Packs, EPC’s was maintained a required element of moving property. An EPC must be commissioned before the property is advertised. This is not something that conveyancers normally arrange. If you are using a Uppingham conveyancing lawyer they might be willing to arrange EPC’s given their contacts with reputable local accredited person

I can not fathom if my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have telephoned my Uppingham building society branch on various occasions and was reassured it wasn't a problem and they would lend. My Uppingham conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- called to say that they refuse to lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?

Provided that the solicitor is on the bank approved list, she or he must comply with the CML Handbook specifications for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

My offer on a semi in Uppingham has been agreed to, but there is a chain. The sellers have offered on on an apartment, but it’s not been accepted yet, and are looking at other properties booked. I have chosen a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Uppingham. What do I do now? At what stage should I apply for the mortgage with Kent Reliance?

It is understandable to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses prematurely (home loan application is approx one thousand pounds, then survey, Uppingham conveyancing search charges, etc). The first thing to do is ensure that your conveyancer is on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. Regarding the subsequent steps this very much depends on the specifics of your transaction, attraction to this property and on the state of the market. In a rising market the majority of purchasers will apply for a home loan with Kent Reliance and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their property lawyer to proceed with the conveyancing in Uppingham.

My relative recommended that if I am purchasing in Uppingham I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

This is a search is sometimes included in the estimate for your Uppingham conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing significant information about Uppingham around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Uppingham Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Uppingham Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information regarding Uppingham.

I am buying my first flat in Uppingham benefiting from help to buy. The developers would not budge the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The sale representative suggested that I not disclose to my lawyer about this side-deal as it may impact my mortgage with Santander. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I need to find a conveyancing solicitor for purchase conveyancing in Uppingham. I have discover a web site which seems to have the ideal offering If there is a chance to get all formalities done via phone that would be ideal. Should I be wary? What are the potential pitfalls?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

I've found a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since discovered that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Uppingham. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Uppingham are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Uppingham in which case you should be shopping around for a Uppingham conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the landlord’sconsent to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor should appraise you on the various issues.

I acquired a leasehold flat in Uppingham, conveyancing was carried out in 2002. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable properties in Uppingham with over 90 years remaining are worth £211,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2093

You have 68 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £9,500 and £11,000 plus professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.