I'm at the point of looking at houses in Barnet and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it sensible to have a on ‘stand by’? I intend to finance via a mortgage with .

It would be prudent to instigate your search sooner rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the estate agent. As you are getting a mortgage with , ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

It is unclear whether my bank requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Barnet bank branch on various occasions and was reassured it wasn't an issue and they will lend. My Barnet conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they will not lend based on their specific requirements. I have no idea who is right.

The must follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook section two provisions for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender 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 mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

I've read lots of house buying guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Barnet solicitor - who is on the conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Barnet surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

I am buying a house and the solicitor has identified Chancel Repair to which the property may be obligated to contribute to given it’s proximity to the area of such a church. She has suggested insurance. Is this really necessary for conveyancing in Barnet

Unless a previous purchase of the premises took place post 12 October 2013 you may assume that solicitors handling conveyancing in Barnet to continue to recommend a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on last month in what was supposed to be a quick, chain free conveyancing. Barnet is where the house is located. Can you offer any opinion?

Flying freeholds in Barnet are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Barnet you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Barnet may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.

In what way does the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my business property in Barnet and how can you help?

The particular law that you refer to affords protection to business leaseholders, giving them the legal entitlement to apply to court for a continuation of occupancy at the end of an expired lease. There are limited grounds that a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are complex. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing practices who use the act to your advantage and help with commercial conveyancing in Barnet

I bought a 1st floor flat in Barnet, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Barnet with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease ends on 21st October 50

With just 50 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £36,100 and £41,800 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.