My lawyer has uncovered a defect with the lease for the flat we are buying in Chiswick. The other side have put forward title insurance as a solution. We are happy with insurance and will pay for it. Our has advised that he must check that the lender is content with this solution. Are we the client or is the bank?

Regardless of the fact that you have a mortgage offer from the bank does not mean to say that the property will meet their conditions for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. You and the lender are the client. The appropriate lender provisions must be adhered to.

A colleague pointed out to me me that in buying a property in Chiswick there may be various restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external changes to the property. Is this right?

There are anumerous of properties in Chiswick which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Chiswick should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

We are getting a further advance on our home loan from as we wish to carry out alterations to our property in Chiswick. Do we need to choose a high street Chiswick solicitor on the conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?

do not ordinarily require a member of their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the conveyancing panel.

I am expecting a OIP from this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do recommend any Chiswick solicitors on the conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Chiswick solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and through the process.

Me and my brother have a terraced Victorian house in Chiswick. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and . I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Chiswick and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also check the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two maisonettes in Chiswick both have in the region of forty five years left on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

A lease is a right to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As a lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease reduces and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is advisable to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage companies may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We advise that you get professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area.

I inherited a 1st floor flat in Chiswick, conveyancing was carried out 1995. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Chiswick with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease finishes on 21st October 50

With only 50 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending 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 may be other issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

I am buying a house and cash is in place. I have provided solicitor with 2 distinct forms of photo ID, bank statement, multiple utility bills. Now he wants a copy from a probate lawyer stating that the money is in order and that it has come from inheritance and not selling fake DVD.

In today’s world you will not be able to complete any Chiswick conveyancing transaction without first providing evidence of your identity to your lawyers. This usually takes the form of a either your passport or driving licence and a utility bill. Remember if you are providing your driving licence as evidence of ID it must be both the paper part and photo card part, one is not acceptable without the other. Evidence of your source of funds is required under Money Laundering laws.