Having spent time reading mumsnet.com for a cheap solicitor in Pudsey, many comment that I should look for a CQS assured solicitor. What is CQS?

The Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme is the recognised quality mark for legal experts in the legal transfer of properties, trusted by some of the UK's biggest banks. Four years ago the Conveyancing Quality Scheme was officially recognised by the Building Societies Association (BSA). CQS is not a scheme offered by the Council of Licensed Conveyancing. Pudsey is one of the numerous areas of the UK where there are CQS lawyers.

This question may be naive but I am unexperienced as FTB of a ground floor flat in Pudsey. Do I receive the keys to the house on completion from my solicitor? If so, I will find a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Pudsey?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will transfer the purchase money to the seller's conveyancers, and once they have received this, you will be called to pick up the keys from the selling Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen between 1 and 3pm.

is it true that all Pudsey solicitor firms on the UBS conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As solicitors, in order to be on the UBS approved list of solicitors they would need to be overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Many lenders do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the firms would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

The mortgage over my property is with Leeds Building Society for my property in Pudsey. Conveyancing has been completed months ago. In the event that I decide 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 Leeds Building Society?

Your original mortgage agreement with Leeds Building Society will provide that you need their approval before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Leeds Building Society’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Leeds Building Society 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 Leeds Building Society directly. You need not do this via a Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel firm.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and identified one round the corner in Pudsey I like with a park and railway links nearby, however it's only got 52 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Pudsey for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease may be problematic. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you may ask them to 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 lawyer concerning this matter.

My husband and I are a couple of weeks into a freehold purchase having been directed to conveyancers by the estate agent to execute conveyancing in Pudsey. I am not happy. Can you you assist me in finding new lawyers?

A lawyer would have to be very bad in order to consider changing them. Has your loan offer been issued? If so you must advise them of the new lawyer and ensure the loan are re-issued. The solicitor ideally needs to be on the banks approved list to avoid added costs and frustration. So that should be your starting point. Our search tool can help you find a bank approved lawyer for your home move in Pudsey

I am looking at a couple of maisonettes in Pudsey which have about forty five years remaining on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold flat in Pudsey is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the marketability of the property. For most buyers and banks, leases with less than 75 years become less and less attractive. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Pudsey conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I purchased a 2 bed flat in Pudsey, conveyancing formalities finalised 10 years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding flats in Pudsey with an extended lease are worth £211,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2093

With 68 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.