It is 10 years ago since I acquired my home in Northumberland. Conveyancing solicitors have now been appointed on the sale but I can't track down my title deeds. Is this a major issue?

You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be retained by your lender or they may be in the possession of the solicitor who handled your purchase. Secondly the chances are that the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Northumberland relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your home is not registered it is more of a problem but is not insurmountable.

Are all Northumberland Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the conveyancing panel?

A selection of lenders now use the accreditation scheme as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their panels.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Northumberland off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with . Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with , you will need to appoint a solicitor on the conveyancing panel.

About to purchase house in Northumberland. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Northumberland is on the conveyancing panel.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Northumberland I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Northumberland in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this.

My company is looking to take over a lease of an office on the high street. Can you recommend solicitors offering no-move-no charges for non-domestic conveyancing in Northumberland for below £2000?

We can recommend firms who host a wealth of experience of commercial conveyancing in Northumberland, including the sale and acquisition of businesses as well as simply property. Whether you are hoping to acquire or dispose of a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail premises or a complete business we can find you the right lawyer. Regarding the fees this will depend on the structure and heads of terms of the deal. Please provide us with your contact information or telephone so as to enable us to supply you with a fixed commercial conveyancing quote.

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Northumberland. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Northumberland - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars 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.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Northumberland - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

How is the lease structured? How long is the Lease? Generally speaking the cost for major works are not included within maintenance charges, although a few managing agents in Northumberland require tenants to pay into a sinking fund created for the specific intention of building a fund for major repairs or maintenance.