In the event thatI was to acquire a freehold homein Almondsbury for cash and dispense with a survey and no local authority searches how much should I expect to have to pay for conveyancing in Almondsbury?

The only reduction in fees you would achieve is the disbursement for searches. The conveyancing practitioner still be obliged to do everything else - money laundering, correspond with the sellers solicitor, stamp duty return, register the ownership etc. A marginal saving might be made by not needing to register a charge but it will not be a lot.

I can not fathom if my bank requires a lease extension. I have called my Almondsbury building society branch on various occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they would lend. My Almondsbury conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called to say that they will not lend based on their published requirements. I have no idea who is right.

Provided that the solicitor is on the lender panel, she or he must comply with the CML Handbook conditions for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

After months of negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Almondsbury. My financial adviser suggested a lawyer. I paid an advanced payment of £200. Shortly after, the conveyancing practitioner called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the HSBC conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the HSBC panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I had an offer accepted on an apartment in Almondsbury on 18/6/2024, valuation was booked 4 days later, received a clean bill of health. Conveyancer instructed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Santander and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?

Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Santander to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Santander conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

Should my lawyer be making enquiries about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Almondsbury.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors conducting conveyancing in Almondsbury. Some people will acquire a house in Almondsbury, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Conveyancers are not best placed to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a various searches that may be carried out by the buyer or by their conveyancers which will figure out the risks in Almondsbury. The standard property information forms given to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) contains a standard inquiry of the vendor to determine whether the premises has historically flooded. If the premises has been flooded in past which is not revealed by the seller, then a buyer could bring a legal claim for losses as a result of such an inaccurate answer. A purchaser’s conveyancers should also conduct an environmental search. This should reveal if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional inquiries will need to be conducted.

Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Almondsbury before instructing lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the house. Our surveyor advised that some lenders will refuse to give a mortgage on such a premises.

It varies from the lender to lender. HSBC has different instructions from Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can look into this further with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Almondsbury. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Almondsbury especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Almondsbury.

I am attracted to a couple of flats in Almondsbury which have approximately 50 years left on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Almondsbury is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the marketability of the premises. For most purchasers and banks, leases with under eighty years become less and less marketable. 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 Almondsbury conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending 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 1 bedroom flat in Almondsbury, conveyancing was carried out November 1998. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Almondsbury with a long lease are worth £197,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 2080

You have 56 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £29,500 and £34,000 plus costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of 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 considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.