In the event thatI was to purchase a simple residential propertyin Blackpool mortgage fee and dispense with a survey and no local authority searches how much could I expect to have to pay for conveyancing in Blackpool?

Any savings you would make will be isolated to the Blackpool conveyancing searches. A conveyancer still be obliged to do everything else - money laundering, correspond with your vendors property lawyer, stamp duty return, register the ownership etc. You might save a bit for them not having to register a charge but it won't be meaningful.

We are planning to acquire a house and require a conveyancing solicitor in Blackpool who is on the HSBC conveyancing panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a conveyancing firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for HSBC . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Blackpool.

We're in Blackpool, FTBs buying with a mortgage (lender is Santander , and our lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no conveyancer should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

I own a terraced Georgian property in Blackpool. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Bank of Scotland. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same address. Is it worth asking Bank of Scotland to clarify?

You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Blackpool and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also check the position with your conveyancing practitioner who conducted the conveyancing.

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Blackpool what are the most frequent lease problems?

Leasehold conveyancing in Blackpool is not unique. All leases are drafted differently and drafting errors can result in certain sections are missing. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

Insurance obligations

You could have difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Santander, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, and Aldermore all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to provide security, obliging the purchaser to withdraw.

I own a 1st floor flat in Blackpool, conveyancing was carried out in 1999. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Blackpool with a long lease are worth £180,000. The ground rent is £65 yearly. The lease terminates on 21st October 2084

You have 59 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £20,900 and £24,200 as well as legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns 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.