I am assisting my mother sell her flat in South Yorkshire. Does the conveyancer arrange the energy performance certificate or do I organise this?

After the demise of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates remained a compulsory component of selling a property. An EPC must be to hand in advance of the property being advertised. This is not something that conveyancers ordinarily arrange. If you are using a South Yorkshire conveyancing practitioner they might be able to arrange EPC’s given their relationships with long established local providers

I just acquired a property at auction in South Yorkshire. Conveyancing is required. What happens now?

Given that you are now exchanged you should hire the services of a conveyancing lawyer quickly as you are faced with a fast approaching deadline in which to complete the transaction. All auction property should have a bespoke legal pack. This will likely include evidence of title and search results. If you have purchased leasehold property the conveyancing pack should provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing documentation relating to a leasehold property. You should hand this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor at the earliest opportunity. Do make sure that your finances are in order to complete on the on the contractual date .

We have a mortgage agreed in principle with . South Yorkshire conveyancing lawyers have been chosen. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from ?

There is no definitive answer here. Have conducted the survey? Have you informed as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

I used Wolstenholmes several years ago for my conveyancing in South Yorkshire. I now require my papers however the law firm has closed. What do I do?

You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in South Yorkshire of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and found one round the corner in South Yorkshire I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, however it's only got 52 years on the lease. There is not much else in South Yorkshire in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you could request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this.

In what way can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my business property in South Yorkshire and how can your lawyers assist?

The 1954 Act provides security of tenure to business leaseholders, granting the dueness to apply to court for a continuation of occupancy at the end of an expired lease. There are certain specified grounds where a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are involved. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. South Yorkshire is one of the many locations in which our lawyers have offices

Planning to exchange soon on a garden flat in South Yorkshire. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

Whether your lease provides for a reserve fund? You should be sent a copy of the lease Does the lease prohibit wood flooring? The physical ownership of the property. This might be the flat itself but might include a attic or storage are if relevant. You should have a good understanding of the building insurance provisions

I invested in buying a split level flat in South Yorkshire, conveyancing formalities finalised 3 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in South Yorkshire with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease ceases on 21st October 50

With 50 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £36,100 and £41,800 plus costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.