I happen to be the single recipient of my late father’s estate with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in Anstey. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in September. I plan to dispose of the house. I understand that there is a Mortgage Lenders six month 'rule', which means that my property ownership could be treated the same way as though I had purchased the house in September. Do I have to wait half a year to sell?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook obliges solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you could be impacted by that. Most banks would take a practical view as this provision is principally there to identify the purchase and immediately sell or the flipping of property.

My wife and I have organised the release of further monies on our home loan from Yorkshire BS as we want to conduct a loft conversion to our home in Anstey. Are we obliged to appoint a local Anstey solicitor on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?

Yorkshire BS don't usually instruct firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel.

My sealed bid on a semi in Anstey has been accepted, but there is a chain. The owners have put an offer on somewhere, but it’s not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other apartments in the pipeline. I have chosen a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Anstey. What do I do now? At what point should I apply for the mortgage with Santander?

It is normal to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses prematurely (mortgage application is approx one thousand pounds, then survey, Anstey conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you should ensure that your conveyancing practitioner is on the Santander conveyancing panel. Concerning the subsequent steps this very much dictated by the specifics of your transaction, desire for the property and on the state of the market. During a rising market some buyers would apply for a home loan with Santander and arrange for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their conveyancing practitioner to press on with the conveyancing in Anstey.

How does conveyancing in Anstey differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Anstey contact us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is built. This is because builders in Anstey tend to buy the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Anstey or who has acted in the same development.

I decided to have a survey completed on a property in Anstey prior to appointing solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the property. My surveyor has said that some lenders may not give a mortgage on this type of house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different requirements for example to Halifax. If you e-mail us we can look into this further with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Anstey. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Anstey especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Anstey.

I need to appoint a conveyancing solicitor for my conveyancing in Anstey. I happened to discover a web site which seems to have the perfect offering If there is a chance to get all formalities done via phone that would be preferable. Do I need to be concerned? What are the potential pitfalls?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

I've found a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Anstey. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Anstey ?

Most houses in Anstey are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Anstey so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Anstey conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the landlord’spermission to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer should advise you fully on all the issues.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Anstey - Sample of Queries Prior to buying

Does the lease have in excess of 85 years unexpired? The majority of Anstey leasehold flats will be liable to pay a service charge for the upkeep of the block levied by the landlord. Should you buy the apartment you will have to pay this liability, usually periodically accross the year. This could vary from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common grounds. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge to be met annual, this is usually not a large figure, say around £50-£100 but you need to check as occasionally it can be prohibitively expensive. Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge payments?