I am in the process of selling my flat in Chantry and the estate agent has just telephoned to advise that the purchasers are appointing a new property lawyer. The reason given is that the lender will only work with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. Why would a major mortgage company only work with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Chantry ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in the last few years big names such as Nationwide, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for decades.

Lenders attribute this action to a rise in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my property can not be found. The solicitors who did the conveyancing in Chantry years ago no longer exist. What do I do?

You no longer need to hold title official documentation to establish that you own the land or property, as the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.

How does conveyancing in Chantry differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Chantry approach us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is finished. This is because builders in Chantry usually acquire the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Chantry or who has acted in the same development.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Chantry I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 51 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Chantry in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?

If you require a mortgage that many years will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you could request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this.

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Chantry. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Chantry - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I own a studio flat in Chantry, conveyancing formalities finalised 3 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar properties in Chantry with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease terminates on 21st October 50

With 50 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £36,100 and £41,800 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of 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. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.