I have given 2 months notice to my existing landlord and must vacate my rented flat in Barlaston by the end of next month. Conveyancing on my purchase has just started. Can I complete in six weeks as don't want to have to find temporary accommodation?

The normal practice is not to provide notice for your lease unless you have exchanged. If you have not already done so, contact to your solicitor and request that they cajole the other lawyers, try to a target completion date that all parties will work to achieve

Do I have to attend the offices of the solicitor to sign the legal charge? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Barlaston so that I can attend their offices when needed.

Nowadays approved lawyers for lenders carry out the vast majority of work through Royal Mail, e-mail or over phone calls. This enables them to conduct the legal work for your home move no matter where you live in the country. Nevertheless you can check if you have the option of visiting the offices of your conveyancing lawyer if just in case this is required.

We are selling our house in Barlaston and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being built land that was not decontaminated. Any local lawyer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers instructed a factory type conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Barlaston. Having lived in Barlaston for 5 years we know that this is a non issue. Should we contact our local Authority to get clarification that the buyers are looking for.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. What do they say? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same illness)

I have recently realised that I have 68 years unexpired on my lease in Barlaston. I now want to extend my lease but my freeholder is missing. What are my options?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be extended by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to locate the lessor. In some cases an enquiry agent may be helpful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document which can be used as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on investigating the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Barlaston.

I own a ground floor flat in Barlaston, conveyancing formalities finalised 9 years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Barlaston with over 90 years remaining are worth £195,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2088

You have 64 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £14,300 and £16,400 plus costs.

The suggested premium range 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 detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

Would local authority consent be necessary to split a single dwelling into a couple of appartments in Barlaston? This has been carried out to a property adjacent to my house in Barlaston and was not aware of it happening until the works were done.

Planning Permission yes. Building Regulations yes.