It is 10 years ago since I acquired my property in Aldborough Hatch. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been retained on the sale but I am unable to locate my title deeds. Is this a major issue?

You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be retained by your mortgage company or they may be archived with the lawyers who handled your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Aldborough Hatch involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

My wife and I are planning on selling our property in Aldborough Hatch and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. A local lawyer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers used an online conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Aldborough Hatch. We have lived in Aldborough Hatch for many years we know that this is a non issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to obtain confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. What do they say? You should 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 ailment)

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and identified one near me in Aldborough Hatch I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Aldborough Hatch for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?

Should you need a mortgage that many years will be an issue. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for at least 2 years you can request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.

Do I need to be suspicious that estate agents that I am dealing with are suggesting a web based conveyancing firm rather than a local Aldborough Hatch conveyancing company?

As is the case with many professional services, often referrals from family and friends can be worth their weight in gold. Nevertheless there are numerous parties with a keen interest in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, financial adviser and banks may suggest lawyers to select. On occasion these solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but sometimes there might be a financial incentive behind the endorsement. You are free to appoint your preferred conveyancer. Don't forget that many lenders operate an approved list of law firms you have to use for the lender related work in your transaction.

I bought a studio flat in Aldborough Hatch, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar flats in Aldborough Hatch with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 50

With only 50 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to range between £36,100 and £41,800 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.