My wife and I are due to complete on the purchase of a house in Cudham but as a result of wreckage from a small fire at the property I have managed to agree compensation from the vendor of £2k by way of a adjustment in the price. I had intended this to be dealt with as part of amending the contract yet Aldermore will not agree to this. Should they have been informed?

Any conveyancing practitioner being on the Aldermore approved list is obliged to inform Aldermore of any amendments to the purchase price. If you prohibit your property lawyer to report the price change to Aldermore then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Aldermore and you would have to appoint a new lawyer for your conveyancing in Cudham.

How does conveyancing in Cudham differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build property in Cudham contact us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is finished. This is because developers in Cudham typically purchase the real estate, 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 conveyancers 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 Cudham or who has acted in the same development.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Cudham I like with a park and transport links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 49 years on the lease. There is not much else in Cudham for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?

If you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be an issue. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

My partner and I may need to let out our Cudham ground floor flat temporarily due to a new job. We instructed a Cudham conveyancing practice in 2001 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time seek any guidance as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

A lease governs the relationship between the landlord and you the flat owner; specifically, it will say if subletting is banned, or permitted but only subject to certain caveats. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. Most leases in Cudham do not prevent an absolute prevention of subletting – such a clause would adversely affect the market value the property. Instead, there is usually a basic requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a copy of the tenancy agreement.

I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord to extend my lease without getting anywhere. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such matters? Can you recommend a Cudham conveyancing firm to act on my behalf?

if there is a missing freeholder or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the LVT to make a decision on the premium.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Cudham residence is 1 Southlands Court Southlands Road in September 2013. The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal determined that the premium to be paid by the tenant on the grant of a new lease, in accordance with section 56 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 was £30,541 This case related to 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 50.57 years.

I have checked your search tool I can't find the lawyer I was hoping to instruct as being on the lender conveyancing panel. My lawyer has said that they are on the lender approved panel. How can I be sure given that they are not listed on your directory?

Not all firms are yet listed on our lender panel search tool which is still relatively new. Law firms are listing on a daily basis and it is probably the case that your lawyer is on the mortgage company conveyancing lawyer and you should probably take them at their word. Please do feel free to suggest that they completing their listing on our site as it would only cost them £1 a month to list themselves as being on the mortgage company solicitor panel.