My fiance’s uncle is a conveyancing practitioner. I am hopeful that I'll be able to get mate’s rates for conveyancing, However if that does not come materialise, what level of costs should I be paying for conveyancing in Alvaston?

It’s a good idea to seek 3 or more like-for-like conveyancing quotes. Make use of our search tool on this site. You will notice that estimates will contrast greatly but the service one can expect are distinct between conveyancers as is true with most professions.

I am buying a house mortgage free in Alvaston. I have been residing for the last 20 years in Alvaston. Conveyancing searches are exorbitant. Given that I have knowledge of the road and vicinity very well must I have all the conveyancing searches?

In the absence of a mortgage, then almost all of the Alvaston conveyancing searches are optional. Your solicitor will 'advise', perhaps strongly, that you should have searches done, but he has a professional duty to do this. One thing to consider; if you are going to dispose of the house in the future, it could be of importance to your prospective buyer what the searches determine. On occasion properties with functional issues can still throw up adverse search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Alvaston will provide you some sensible guidance here.

I am considering applying for a HSBC mortgage for purchase of a new build (under development) in Alvaston with 60% LTV. Is it compulsory to choose a solicitor on the conveyancing panel for HSBC ?

In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the HSBC conveyancing panel, but HSBC would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same transaction.

My wife and I buying a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in Alvaston. We would like to convert the garage to an office at the house.Will the conveyancing process involve enquiries to see if these works are allowed?

Your solicitor should check the deeds as conveyancing in Alvaston will on occasion identify restrictions in the title deeds which prevent categories of alterations or necessitated the consent of another owner. Certain additions call for local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Some locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. It would be wise to check these things with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.

We previously chose solicitors located in Alvaston on the Leeds Building Society solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a supplemental sum for handling the Leeds Building Society mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Leeds Building Society?

As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your lawyer can levy a fee for this. The charge is not dictated by Leeds Building Society but by your Alvaston conveyancer. Plenty of firms on the Leeds Building Society panel will quote ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but some practices incorporate it on their overall fee.

I currently have a mortgage with Virgin Money for my property in Alvaston. Conveyancing was finalised months ago. If I am intending to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Virgin Money?

You must advise Virgin Money prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Virgin Money’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Virgin Money will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Virgin Money directly. You need not do this via a Virgin Money conveyancing panel solicitor.

I am a negotiator for a reputable estate agent office in Alvaston where we see a few leasehold sales jeopardised as a result of short leases. I have been given contradictory information from local Alvaston conveyancing solicitors. Can you clarify whether the owner of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

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. This means that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. 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.

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 purchased a studio flat in Alvaston, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding properties in Alvaston with over 90 years remaining are worth £190,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease finishes on 21st October 2083

With just 62 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £17,100 and £19,800 as well as costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.