Why would one instruct a Portishead conveyancing firm given that online conveyancers are more affordable?

By all means make sure that you compare conveyancing costs in Portishead and you should seek a reasonable estimate but don’t be focused with scouring the internet for the cheapest Portishead conveyancer. Locating the right conveyancer can be the difference between a seamless and a frustrating house move. You need to ensure that you have expert advice from a specialist conveyancer. An e-mail can never take the place of a phone discussion and are no substitute for a face to face meeting. Our partner firms will allocate you a qualified and top rated conveyancing solicitor who can tackle your conveyancing from beginning to end, giving the sort of continuity that you will never get with an online conveyancer. Our lawyers will contact you regularly to update you on progress and keep you informed. Should you need to contact the firm you will know who to ask for and we'll ensure you are in the know.

This question may be naive but I am unseasoned as FTB of a garden flat in Portishead. Do I receive the keys to the property on completion from my conveyancer? If so, I will instruct a local conveyancing solicitor in Portishead?

On the day of completion you will not be required to go to the conveyancers office in Portishead. Conveyancing lawyers for you will electronically transfer the purchase money to the seller's conveyancers, and once they have received this, you will be able to receive the keys from the selling Agents and move into your new home. Usually this occurs between 1 and 3pm.

Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Lloyds. Portishead conveyancing practitioners were selected. How long does it take for Lloyds to send the offer to the solicitor?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Lloyds completed the valuation? Have you advised Lloyds as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Lloyds conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.

It is not clear whether my bank requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Portishead bank branch on numerous occasions and was told it does not impact the mortgage offer and they will lend. My Portishead conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called and was told they refuse to lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?

As long as the property lawyer is on the mortgage company approved list, they must adhere to the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook conditions for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

I am purchasing my first flat in Portishead with a loan from Nationwide Building Society. The builders refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The estate agent told me not reveal to my solicitor about this deal as it could adversely affect my mortgage with the lender. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and identified one close by in Portishead I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it only has 52 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Portishead suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

If you need a home loan that many years will be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this.

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Portishead. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is registered - and almost all are in Portishead - 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.

I am the registered owner of a studio flat in Portishead, conveyancing having been completed in 2007. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar flats in Portishead with a long lease are worth £222,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease expires on 21st October 2095

You have 71 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.