My partner and I are planning on selling our property in West Acton and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was constructed land that was not decontaminated. A local lawyer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers instructed a national conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in West Acton. Having lived in West Acton for many years we know that this is a non issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to obtain confirmation need.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor already. Are they able to advise? You need to check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same illness)

My company is looking to take over a lease of a shop on the high street. Can you recommend solicitors offering fixed costs for commercial conveyancing in West Acton for under 1500k?

We are happy to recommend firms who have well rounded knowledge of commercial conveyancing in West Acton, including the sale and purchase of businesses as well as simply property. Whether you are hoping to buy or dispose of a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail premises or a complete business we can put you in touch with the right lawyer. As for the charges this will depend on the structure and nuances of the deal. Please provide us with your contact information or email us so that we can furnish you with a detailed commercial conveyancing calculation.

Should I use a West Acton conveyancing lawyer based in the location that I am purchasing? I have an old university friend who can deal with the conveyancing but her office is 400kilometers away.

The primary upside of using a local West Acton conveyancing practice is that you can attend the office to sign documents, deliver your identification documents and apply pressure on them if necessary. Having local West Acton know how is a benefit. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who instructed your friend and in the main were impressed that must surpass using an unfamiliar West Acton conveyancing lawyer just because they are local.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a West Acton conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a West Acton conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you make enquires with several firms including non West Acton conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be helpful:

Can they put you in touch with clients in West Acton who can give a testimonial? If they are not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?

I inherited a studio flat in West Acton, conveyancing having been completed October 1996. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in West Acton with a long lease are worth £186,000. The ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2077

With only 53 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £27,600 and £31,800 plus legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

We own a leasehold flat in West Acton. Conveyancing was completed in 2009. I have been told that I mustn’t let the the remaining lease term to fall too low. Why is that a problem?

West Acton leasehold properties are for a set period - often just under one hundred years when they are first granted. However many appartments in West Acton were built or converted 30 or more years ago and so such leases now have under 80 years unexpired. This may sound like plenty of time however Banks, Building Societies and other mortgage institutions tend to require leases to have at least seventy five years remaining to be mortgageable. Accordingly when you come to sell the property you will need to extend the term of your lease if you are getting close to seventy five years. To enhance your property value you should be considering whether or not to extend your lease long before you come to sell it. There are also significant benefits to doing so before the lease reaches even 80 years as when the lease is less than eighty years the amount to be paid to extend starts to escalate.