I have given 2 months notice to my existing landlord and must vacate my rented apartment in Shaftesbury by 11/6/2024. Conveyancing on my purchase is underway. How realistic is it to complete in 5 weeks as don't want to have to find temporary accommodation?

It is unwise to provide notice for your lease unless your lawyer suggests that you should. If you have not already done so, update to your lawyer and urge them to they seek the assistance the sellers side, try to get a realistic time scale from them that all parties will work to achieve

Forgive me if this question is silly but I am unseasoned as FTB of a two bedroom flat in Shaftesbury. Do I collect the keys to the premises on the completion date from my solicitor? If so, I will find a local conveyancing solicitor in Shaftesbury?

On the day of completion you do not need to go to the conveyancers office in Shaftesbury. Conveyancing lawyers for you will arrange to send the completion advance to the vendor’s solicitors, and once they have received this, you should be called to collect the keys from the Estate Agents and start moving into the property. This tends to happen early afternoon.

I am purchasing a property in Shaftesbury. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Skipton have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Skipton your lawyer must comply with the formal requirements contained in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Skipton. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Skipton where a lease does not comply with these requirements. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Shaftesbury.

After what feels like an age I have had an offer on an apartment in Shaftesbury agreed to, the vendors do nevertheless have a dependent purchase. The vendors have offered on on an apartment, however it’s not yet tied up, and have viewings of other flats in the pipeline. I have chosen a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Shaftesbury. What do I do now? At what stage should I apply for the mortgage with TSB?

It is normal to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses prematurely (home loan application is approx one thousand pounds, then valuation, Shaftesbury conveyancing search costs, etc). The first thing to do is ensure that your solicitor is on the TSB conveyancing panel. Concerning the subsequent stages this very much depends on the uniqueness of your case, attraction to the property and on the state of the market. During a hot market many buyers will apply for a home loan with TSB and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their conveyancer to press on with the conveyancing in Shaftesbury.

I need some quick conveyancing in Shaftesbury as I am under pressure to sign on the dotted line within one month. Fortunately I do not need a mortgage. Is it possible to escape the need for conveyancing searches to save money and time?

As you are not obtaining a mortgage you have the choice not to have searches conducted although no conveyancer would suggest that you don't. With plenty of history conveyancing in Shaftesbury the following are examples of issues that can appear and therefore affect future saleability: Enforcement Actions, Outstanding Fees, Outstanding Grants, Unadopted Roads,...

I opted to have a survey carried out on a house in Shaftesbury prior to retaining solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. The surveyor has said that some mortgage companies tend not give a mortgage on a flying freehold house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can investigate further via the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Shaftesbury. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Shaftesbury especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Shaftesbury.

I am employed by a reputable estate agent office in Shaftesbury where we have witnessed a number of leasehold sales jeopardised as a result of short leases. I have received inconsistent advice from local Shaftesbury conveyancing solicitors. Can you confirm whether the owner of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer can avoid having to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

An alternative approach is to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

I acquired a 1 bedroom flat in Shaftesbury, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Shaftesbury with an extended lease are worth £202,000. The ground rent is £60 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2081

With 57 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £28,500 and £33,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.