Our solicitor has uncovered a defect with the lease for the property we are buying in Fishponds. The other side have offered title insurance as a workaround. We are happy with insurance and will pay for it. Our says that he must be satisfied that the lender is willing to move forward with this solution. Are we the client or is the mortgage company ?

Even though you have a mortgage offer from the bank does not mean to say that the property will meet their provisions 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 mortgage company are the client. The appropriate lender specifications have to be complied with.

Forgive me if this question is silly but I am unexperienced as a 1st time buyer of a garden flat in Fishponds. Do I pick up the keys to the house on completion from my conveyancer? If so, I will appoint a local conveyancing solicitor in Fishponds?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will electronically transfer the completion advance to the vendor’s conveyancers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you will be called to collect the keys from the selling Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this happens early afternoon.

I currently have a mortgage with for my property in Fishponds. Conveyancing was finalised months ago. If I am intending to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform ?

must be informed of your intention prior to letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of ’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact directly. You need not do this via a conveyancing panel firm.

I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in June 2007, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, are being difficult. The Fishponds solicitor who is on the conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

Is it necessary to pay for insurance to protect me from financial exposure to chancel repairs when acquiring a property in Fishponds?

Unless a previous purchase of the house completed post 12 October 2013 you may assume that solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Fishponds to remain encouraging a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Fishponds?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Fishponds. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

Expecting to complete next month on a ground floor flat in Fishponds. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they are sending me a report on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Fishponds should include some of the following:

The length of the lease term. You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and informed of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years You should know whether the lease allows you to change or upgrade aspects of the property- you must know whether any restrictions relates to all alterations or limited to structural alteration, and whether licences for alterations is required Whether the lease restricts you from renting out the flat, or working from home Details of the parties to the lease, for instance these could be the leaseholder, head lessor, freeholder Repair and maintenance of the property

I inherited a ground floor flat in Fishponds, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Fishponds with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease ends on 21st October 50

With 50 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" 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 comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.