I am assisting my step-mother sell her flat in Aldershot. Does the solicitor arrange the energy performance certificate or should I organise this?

After the demise of Home Packs, energy assessments was kept a required part of moving property. An energy assessment must be commissioned before the property is put on the market. It is not as aspect of the sale process that lawyers normally arrange. If you are instructing a Aldershot conveyancing solicitor they may be able to arrange energy performance certificates due to their contacts with reputable Aldershot energy assessors

My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Aldershot. Conveyancing is necessary. What are my next steps?

Given that you have now legally committed yourself to purchase you now have to instruct a conveyancing practitioner quickly as you now have a tight a fixed date to complete the transaction. An auction property will ordinarily have a bespoke legal pack. This should include most,if not all of the documents that your lawyer requires. In the case of leasehold premises the conveyancing papers should contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing documentation pertinent to a leasehold property. You must pass this on to your appointed conveyancing solicitor at the earliest opportunity. You also need to ensure that your finances are in order to complete on the on the contractual date .

My fiancee and I are at the point of looking at apartments in Aldershot and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it wise to have my property lawyer on ‘stand by’? I will be getting a mortgage with Aldermore.

It would be advisable to instigate your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the EA. As you are obtaining a mortgage with Aldermore, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel.

I need some fast conveyancing in Aldershot as I am faced with a deadline to sign on the dotted line in less than one month. Thankfully I do not need a mortgage. Can I escape the need for conveyancing searches to save fees and time?

If.Given you are not taking a mortgage you are at free not to have searches conducted although no conveyancer would advise that you don't. With plenty of history conveyancing in Aldershot the following are instances of what can show up and therefore impact future saleability: Refused Planning Applications, Outstanding Fees, Overdue Grants, Railway Schemes,...

I used Wolstenholmes a few years ago for my conveyancing in Aldershot. Now, I need the documents but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Aldershot of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

My husband and I are FTB’s - agreed a price, but the selling agent has warned us that the seller will only go ahead if we use their recommended lawyers as they need an ‘expedited deal’. We would rather use a family solicitor with experience of conveyancing in Aldershot

It is improbable the owners are driving this. If they want ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a genuine buyer is likely to cause more damage than good. Speak to the owners direct and make sure they understand (a)you are motivated buyers (b)you are ready to progress, with mortgage lined up © you have nothing to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you intend to use your own,trusted Aldershot conveyancing solicitors - not the ones that will earn their estate agent a kickback or achieve conveyancing figures set by corporate headquarters.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Aldershot. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I inherited a 2 bed flat in Aldershot, conveyancing having been completed July 2009. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Aldershot with an extended lease are worth £222,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease ends on 21st October 2096

With just 70 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.