We were about to choose a conveyancing solicitor in Bognor Regis endorsed using your search tool but stumbled across some other estimates on the internet seem less expensive – why is this?

You can find hundreds of conveyancers offering what appear to be cut price. Our advice is to give due consideration about how important this transaction is to you that you are willing to be penny wise pound foolish over the standard of the conveyancing. Some embed fees deep into the terms and conditions. The law firms that we put forward for conveyancing in Bognor Regis neverdo this.

We have rather pushy vendors who has insisted on a lock out agreement with a deposit of 5k. Are such agreements sensible?

There are two primary drawbacks with executing a lock out agreement (also referred to as an exclusivity agreement) is that it diverts attention away from making progress with the conveyancing transaction itself, so unless it requires little or no negotiation then it may transpire to be a hindrance. It is not promoted amongst Bognor Regis conveyancing lawyers as a result. A further issue is the extent of the remedies available - an aggrieved purchaser should not expect to win injunctive relief to bar the seller completing the sale to an alternative purchaser, so the only remedy open via the contract will be the recovery of abortive charges and, in restricted circumstances, the additional payment of damages.

Can you clarify what the consequences are if my solicitor is expelled from the Principality Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Bognor Regis?

The first thing to point out is that, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.

I am purchasing my first flat in Bognor Regis with a mortgage from Nationwide Building Society. The builders would not move on the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The sale representative told me not disclose to my conveyancer about the extras as it will affect my loan with the bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Bognor Regis with the purpose of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Bognor Regis can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where a dispute is ongoing. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to present the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Bognor Regis state that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. Where you dont have the consents to hand do not contact the landlord without checking with your conveyancer before hand. If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should make sure that you have the original share document. Arranging a new share certificate is often a lengthy process and slows down many a Bognor Regis home move. If a reissued share certificate is required, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

I bought a split level flat in Bognor Regis, conveyancing formalities finalised 7 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable flats in Bognor Regis with a long lease are worth £255,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease finishes on 21st October 2099

With 73 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £8,600 and £9,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.