I have been told that property searches are the main reason for stalling in Birmingham house deals. Is there any truth in this?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the findings of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the common causes of hindrances during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are unlikely to feature in any delay in conveyancing in Birmingham.

I have justbeen informed that Stirling Law have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Birmingham for a purchase of a leasehold apartment 12 months ago. How can I check that the property is not still registered in the name of the previous owner?

The quickest method to see if the premises is registered to you, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Birmingham conveyancing specialists.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and found one close by in Birmingham I like with amenity areas and station nearby, however it's only got 49 years on the lease. There is not much else in Birmingham in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease will likely be an issue. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.

I only have 72 years unexpired on my lease in Birmingham. I am keen to get lease extension but my landlord is can not be found. What options are available to me?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to find the freeholder. On the whole a specialist may be useful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document to be used as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Birmingham.

I bought a split level flat in Birmingham, conveyancing formalities finalised 5 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable flats in Birmingham with over 90 years remaining are worth £185,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2082

With just 60 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £20,000 and £23,000 plus professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

My work colleague mentioned that when choosing a conveyancing solicitors they must be approved by your mortgage company. It happens to be my first house move but I have an offer in principle via Halifax and I already have a family conveyancing lawyer in Birmingham on standby. Will Santander require an approved conveyancer to be used? If so, where can I find that list for my conveyancing in Birmingham?

You need to choose a solicitor that is on the Santander panel. Simply call your chosen Birmingham conveyancing solicitor to check if they are on the Santander panel. If they are not approved you have a number of options available to you here:

• Proceed with your chosen Birmingham property lawyer but Santander will no doubt instruct a conveyancer on their approved panel. This will result in additional cost and probable interruption.
• Appoint a fresh solicitor to conduct the conveyancing, not forgetting to check that they are on the Santander conveyancing panel.
• Convince your conveyancing practitioner to pull out all the stops to get listed on the Santander conveyancing panel.