At what point can the exchange of contracts take place for residential conveyancing in Alderley Edge and Wilmslow and do I need to attend the lawyers branch?

If you are local to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Alderley Edge and Wilmslow you are welcome to come in to sign documents. However, the law practices we work with provide a countrywide conveyancing service and give as equally comprehensive and professional a job for you when dealing with you digitally. The signing of the contract is not when everything is set in stone. Signing on the dotted line simply enables the solicitor to exchange contracts when the time is right, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The exchange process is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a lengthy "chain" is in play, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Alderley Edge and Wilmslow)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.

The deeds to our house can not be found. The lawyers who handled the conveyancing in Alderley Edge and Wilmslow 10 years ago are no longer around. What do I do?

Assuming the title is registered the information relating to your ownership will be evidenced by the Land Registry under a Title Number. It is possible to execute a search at the Land Registry, locate your house and order current copies of the property title for a small fee. If the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will also normally retain a file copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be ordered for twenty pounds.

Taking into account that I am about to part with 450k on a two bedroom apartment in Alderley Edge and Wilmslow I wish to have a conversation with the solicitor about myhome move in advance of appointing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

We could not agree more - we would be happy to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the lawyer due to be carrying out your conveyancing in Alderley Edge and Wilmslow.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is an important individual, not a file reference. The law firms that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are provided with for your conveyancing in Alderley Edge and Wilmslow should be the amount on the final invoice that you are charged.

I am a negotiator for a busy estate agent office in Alderley Edge and Wilmslow where we see a number of leasehold sales derailed as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received inconsistent advice from local Alderley Edge and Wilmslow conveyancing solicitors. Can you shed some light as to whether the owner of a flat can commence the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to 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 sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord 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 bought a 1 bedroom flat in Alderley Edge and Wilmslow, conveyancing having been completed February 2008. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Alderley Edge and Wilmslow with a long lease are worth £216,000. The ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease terminates on 21st October 2094

With just 69 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

At long last our conveyancing in Alderley Edge and Wilmslow is set to complete on Friday, however the couple I am buying from wishes to vacate the next day at PM. Do I agree to such a idea?

If you need a mortgage then your solicitor will require that you have vacant possession on Friday - the bank will insist on it.